Devils Roses 05 - Death

argues with them. I trust her. Her old face and white grey hair reminds me of someone I love.
    My cell rings. I ignore it and walk up the creaky old steps. The old woman takes my hand in hers and pulls me inside.
    The house smells familiar. "I've been here before."
    She looks back at me and nods, "You have. Many times."
    She pulls me to a huge room with many couches and fireplace.
    She sits and begins speaking, "Two years ago, in two thousand and ten, I met you. Dorian, the man who changed you into what you are, was given a task. He was asked by the leader of the Devil's Roses to create one like him. A soul sucker, death deity, angel of death, death dealer, whatever you want to call it. He needed one like himself to end the battle between good and evil on earth."
    I frown, "It's two thousand and ten now. You know that right?"
    She frowns and puts a hand up, "Let me finish my story."
    I nod and she continues, "Dorian was also asked, at the same time, to save you. Aleksander had fallen in love with you and needed you to be spared. The only way to save you was to change you. Dorian was in need of one like himself so he agreed. He agreed on the condition that Aleksander gave up his lifetime of useless wandering and become a Rose. Aleksander agreed and you were changed. Fearing you would begin to understand your own power, Dorian used threats and cruelty to handle you. You ran from him. That is when I met you. I was walking past an alley and I sensed you. You were living on the streets, starving and cold and wet. You had forbidden yourself to kill anyone and thus you were starving. You had swam into the Portland harbor and hidden amongst the homeless. I brought you home here and cared for you. It took months to get you to stop being so crazed and ravenous. Things like you have to eat, often."
    My head spins. I don’t know how to argue with the words. They feel like truths. I can almost picture every moment she has described. I glance at the floor and close my eyes to listen to her voice.

Chapter Nine

    "Do you believe it all?"
    I look at her and nod, "I don’t know why but I do."
    She bites her plump lip, "Me too."
    I lie back on the bed in our room. "It makes more sense than rocks from space or science labs."
    A knock at the door interrupts us. The handle turns and a guy close to my age walks in.
    "Damn." Giselle whispers. I nod in agreement.
    "Hi."
    He beams, "Aimee and Giselle. Back from the never lands I see. Did you miss me terribly?"
    I want to say yes. My heart twinges and I have the strangest feelings for him.
    "I'm Sam."
    I frown and mouth the name. "I know you."
    He nods, "Yup. You know us all obviously, but you and I were special to each other. Me and you and Ari."
    "The dark haired girl?"
    He climbs on my bed. His proximity to me is intense. I want to touch him. "What are you?" I ask. I feel like I've been saying it all day.
    He grins, "Nephilim and Siren. My dad was one of the fallen, like Lorri and Dorian."
    I grimace, "They can have babies?"
    He laughs. I glance at Giselle who is batting her eyelashes, "So did you and I, like know each other?"
    He grins, "Yes. Of course. We did Roses training together. You both are my dearest friends."
    Giselle scowls, "Just friends?"
    I laugh. I feel the same way.
    Giselle leans forward and sniffs the air around him, "You guys are all so hot and you all make me feel, well different."
    I turn to her, "Dude."
    "Naughty." Giselle blurts out, ignoring me.
    "Angels all make everyone feel like that. Automatic attraction. Plus I'm part Siren. So yeah, it's not going to help you out at all."
    "It's the strangest feeling. So intense."
    He nods and purses his lips "Aleks has it too. And Marcus."
    I frown, "Who?"
    "The one with the fangs. Marcus. The OG."
    I laugh, "Right. Lydia mentioned him." I glance at Giselle, "When you were a vampire for a short stint."
    Giselle shakes her head, "It feels like fog is in here." She rubs her head.
    I laugh, "I know. Like I can't get past a wall in my mind."
    "Maybe Marcus can get rid of it."
    Sam shakes his head, "No. We don’t want him to. We still have some monsters to collect. Ophelia and her brother Tristan and Phillip and Oliver. We don’t have time for the whole Shane versus Aleks fight." He rolls his eyes.
    I feel a stab in my guts, "What?"
    His face reddens, "Oh nothing. You just dragged out the whole whoever will I pick for about two years."
    I swallow hard, "I dated them both? Shane and the big blond guy who does the flashy thing