Part 6 (1/2)
The way he said it, the menace in his voice, made the little hairs on my arms stir. A lump formed in my throat. I looked around the bathroom searching for anything I could use as a weapon if I had to. A warning bell sounded in my head. He was here to strike fear into my heart. And it was working real well. My heart was all but dripping with it.
He must've sensed my rising alarm, the instinct to fight or flee, because he set the drink down and slid off the counter to stand next to me. Was he going to grab me?
In a panic, I picked up the liquid soap dispenser on the counter and threw it at him, hard. It hit him smack right between his eyes. Who knew I could aim so well?
”d.a.m.n it!” He stumbled backward and rubbed at his forehead. ”What the h.e.l.l are you doing?”
”Defending myself.” I took a step back, preparing to kick him right between the legs. ”Don't come any closer. I will kick your junk into your throat.”
He stopped moving closer, but continued to rub at his head with his fingers, eyeing me. He smirked. ”Good shot. A little advice though, don't tell your attacker what you plan on doing to him. It ruins the surprise.”
”I'll remember that, thanks,” I said, my body quaking with adrenaline. As if high, my head swam, my muscles flexed all on their own. I hated to admit it, but I sort of liked the sensation. Made me feel powerful. Like I could kick someone's a.s.s, no problem.
”I'm not here to hurt you, Salem. So can you please not throw any more bathroom items at me?”
”I'll think about it.”
He smiled then, and this time it was full of warmth. He had a nice smile, with straight white teeth. There was a little gap between his top fronts. I found it endearing. Cute even. But it didn't make me fear him any less. There was definitely something menacing about Trevor. It was in the way he moved, fluid, predator like, and by the way he looked at me-as if he had dark intentions. That made my belly clench tight.
”Are you going to listen now?”
”Do I have a choice?” I noticed he'd taken up a spot between me and the door.
”No. Not if you want to survive.”
”You see, when you say stuff like that, it makes me want to freak out again.”
”You're right.” He sighed. ”I'm sorry. It's just I've never had to tell someone this before.”
”What exactly?”
”Thane and the rest of the band, well, they aren't...,”
”Aren't what?”
”Human.”
My head throbbed and I was having a difficult time taking in air. I grasped the edge of the counter for balance and worked on breathing. One breath in. One breath out. In. Out. In. Out.
”You're not going to pa.s.s out or anything, are you?”
I shook my head. But I couldn't be too sure. I was light-headed, and sweat was rolling down my neck to soak the back of my Goth Smurfette t-s.h.i.+rt.
”Okay, I'll play. So if not human, what then? Vampires?”
He shook his head.
”Werewolves? Witches?” I thought about all the supernatural creatures that Hollywood had made movies about. Maybe this was a new reality TV show and I was the star. Watch as we make this gullible teenager believe there are supernatural creatures stalking the night. Catch the season opener tonight on Fox.
”They're incubi.”
That threw me for a loop. That wasn't even on my list. ”Incubi? I'm not sure I even know what that means.”
”An incubus is a demon that feeds on the s.e.xual energy of women. Usually at night in their dreams, but these guys have found a way to do that through their music.”
And now he wasn't so much as scary, as he was crazy. Great, I got stuck in a bathroom with a psycho. Go me. ”So, like, they're Satan wors.h.i.+ppers and they are trying to convert people through the lyrics in their music?”
He glared at me then, his eyebrow arched. ”Don't be stupid.”
”Right, because that's really what I have to worry about right now, my stupidity, while I'm locked in a bathroom with a loony toon who keeps stalking me.”
The banging on the door startled me and I jumped a few inches in the air. ”Salem. Are you in there?” It was Chloe. My heroine, coming to rescue me. She banged on the door again.
Straightening, I took a hesitant step toward the door, hoping he would let me go since we now had a witness. He didn't move as I carefully crept around him.
”I'm going now, okay? Please don't follow me again.”
”Because of your encounter with Thane, you're changing.”
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. Oh G.o.d, I'd slept with Thane. I had s.e.x and couldn't remember it. ”I don't know what you're talking about.”
”Sure you do.” And just like that his eyes turned to ink. He blinked at me and smiled.
And I nearly peed my pants.
”You're seeing things, hearing things, and I caught your little floating act the other night.”
I put hand up to my chest where my heart thudded so loud I could hear the rush of blood in my ears. I swore I could actually taste the blood in my mouth.
”It won't be long before you start to think differently. You'll start to do things you've never done before. Bad things, Salem.”
I backed up toward the door, my hands shook and knees wobbled like jelly that it was difficult to stay upright.
”You're turning into a cambion. A half-incubus, well in your case, succubus, creature resulting from sleeping with Thane.”
I put my hand on the bathroom door intent on pulling it open. I wanted Trevor to go away. I wanted all of this, this nightmare to stop. But I couldn't just close my eyes. I knew that now.
I pulled the door, but it was locked. Fumbling, I flicked the dead bolt clock wise to open it.
”I don't believe you.”
”You will soon enough.”