NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31
Jason is in danger.
That feeling reverberated through every fiber of Azremir’s being. It was Jason’s power. Azremir knew that. She cared more about him than she did herself. A feeling that was almost alien to Azremir. Demons gravitate around unholy characteristics. Concern for someone other than themselves is almost unheard of. It was strange for Azremir to watch the girls around Jason become more demonlike while she grew more…
Human? Azremir wanted to laugh at the thought but couldn’t muster the strength to do so.
Jessica, Kylee, Courtney. Azremir didn’t hate any of them for being around Jason. She just wanted to be near him too. To talk with him. Hear him call her Remi. It felt special. Something Azremir had never known before. How could she get angry or wish harm upon any of the other girls for wanting the same?
Especially you, Kirsten. Azremir thought sadly as she gazed down at the unconscious girl bleeding to death in the alleyway. You didn’t deserve this.
Those were words Azremir had never caught herself thinking before.
Is this empathy? Azremir looked at her own hands in search of answers.
After helping Jessica make it out of the mansion, Azremir had ran quickly to Jason’s location. She hadn’t shared this with him, but since Jason summoned Azremir she had the ability to feel where he was at any given time. It wasn’t precise. More like a general reading on a compass. That’s what led her to the alley behind Jason’s home. Jason’s presence wasn’t here, but after seeing Kirsten bleeding on the cold morning pavement, Azremir felt reluctant to leave.
She wanted to help. Just like back at the mansion. Azremir had been actually considering staying back to help Jessica before Jason had asked her. She hadn’t lied to him. She shouldn’t have intervened. The look he gave her… Azremir felt a joyous shudder run down her spine. At that moment, she was the only one he could depend on. That was… well, a feeling Azremir would be chasing after for a long time.
“It’s a shame it has to end so soon.” Azremir muttered aloud.
On the ground, Kirsten stirred in response to Azremir’s words.
“J-jason?” She moaned weakly.
Kirsten was extremely pale. She wouldn’t last much longer without help and Azremir knew that. What held Azremir back from extending her hand was the retribution coming. She had broken the rules. A small portion of her mind held out hope that she could explain away helping Jessica by claiming it was part of her deal with Jason. Though, the rest of her mind knew that argument had a snowball’s chance in Hell being believed.
“No good deed goes unpunished.” Azremir chuckled at the irony. “Why not tack on a few more before I go.”
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Jessica was angry. Kylee and Kirsten had left her behind. Then there was that bizarre woman with horns that had saved her only to disappear the moment they left the mansion. It was only after discovering the car was missing that Jessica realized they had never actually made a plan on where to take Jason after they rescued him. Jessica had assumed she would be taking him home with her, but she suspected the other two probably felt the same.
Jessica managed to make it to Kylee’s apartment but no one was home. The sun had risen by the time Jessica arrived at Kirsten’s apartment building. To her alarm, the car Kirsten had driven yesterday was nowhere to be seen. Jessica stood in the parking lot and stared at the pavement. She had no idea where they had taken Jason. The familiar emptiness began to eat at the edges of her mind. The feelings that dominated her mind during the empty years after moving away from Jason wanted back in. Jessica pulled her shaking hands up to her head and squeezed tightly. She wasn’t strong enough to do that again. Not after being this close to him again.
Just as the pressure in her mind threatened to overcome her, Jessica felt her pocket vibrate. Jessica ripped her phone from her pocket. Her heart sank slightly when the incoming call wasn’t from Jason. After the initial disappointment subsided, Jessica answered the call.
“What do you want Hayden?” She snapped.
He ignored her. “Is Jason with you?”
“No.” Jessica growled in response.
He should be. She thought. He won’t leave my sight ever again.
Hayden cursed over the phone. “Look weren’t you and…”
Jessica’s ears perked up as a muffled voice cut Hayden off in the background. Jessica couldn’t pick up the words, but it sounded like Hayden was being reprimanded.
“Who’s that?” Jessica asked sharply.
“My… mother.” Hayden sighed. “Don’t worry about it. Look, if you see Jason let him know I’m looking for him. I’m going to be at the mall today so have him meet me there if he’s able.”
“What’s your stake in all of this Hayden?” Jessica asked quietly. “You seem far more involved than a concerned friend would be.”
Hayden didn’t answer for a few moments.
“I just don’t want people to get hurt.” He finally answered in an equally quiet tone.
“Just keep your phone close in case he calls you, okay?” Hayden instructed before hanging up the phone.
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Marcus stepped out of the hospital doors and took a deep breath of the cool morning air. It had been a long night without sleep and it didn’t look like he was going to make any of that up anytime soon. His eyes scanned the mostly empty parking lot before pulling out his phone. He pressed one button and lifted the small device up to his ear as he strode towards his vehicle. The line rang once before it was answered.
“Tell me you have good news.” She asked in an uncharacteristically panicked tone.
“He wasn’t with her.” Marcus stated simply.
His employer cursed over the phone.
“Where?” She asked simply.
“In the alley behind his home. The police found Kirsten stabbed and left for dead. No sign of the car or the perpetrator.” Marcus explained the details he had garnered over the past hour. “No one knows who made the emergency call. Kirsten is in a critical condition. Her recovery is doubtful. Either way, she’s under constant supervision so it would be ill advised to try and take her now.”
“I mess up. I didn’t take into account Jason’s mental state. If he was thinking clearly he never would have gone home like that. It was stupid. He was hurt because of me!”
Marcus heard a sharp crack and a female voice shriek in pain. He winced and glanced around once more to ensure that no one else was around.
“What do you want to do now?” Marcus asked, hoping to redirect her distress.
“Find him.” She ordered. “Check traffic cameras, police reports, anything. We can’t leave him with her for too long. She’s incredibly unstable. Far more than I expected. It was a mistake to let her loose.”
“Understood.” Marcus ended the call, cutting off another scream just as it started.
This needs to end soon.
