An Eternity of Eclipse (48 page)

“None of them made it past the age of twenty-one?” I swallowed nervously, hating where this was going, but knowing that I had to keep going in that same direction so I could be educated in every aspect of my life. “Why? What happened to the rest?”

“Dead,” he said simply.

“Why are they all dead?”

“Sicknesses . . . like the one coming for you,” he told me carefully, his expression becoming grim. “Sources of Evil are not created to live long and have prosperous lives as humans. They are created to enjoy their reigns as superior beings, to elicit misery and enjoy all that they can until their Age of Enlightenment comes. When their time comes, they will fulfill their full purpose by dying at some point after their twenty-first birthday.”

I gawked at him, utterly flummoxed. Then, my eyes swelled up in realization. “Is this what Sloth was trying to warn me about? Is this what he told you to inform me so that I’d give you my soul?”

Eclipse nodded, his expression darkening with an admonishing shadow. “A Source is a very rare breed and a very powerful Ancient Evil, but the distinction that should be made about Sources is that they are also 100% human. It is merely the blood pumping within you that makes you superior to other humans. In that regard, you are not only looked upon as one of the most powerful humans on earth, but you are also viewed as one of the most vulnerable as well.”

Another level of fear colored my eyes at his usage of the word “vulnerable.”

“What? Why?”

“A Source is an untapped evil. It may be pure in its power, but it is untapped nonetheless.” He stopped, clearly not wanting to divulge this part of the explanation to me. When I gave him a, “hurry-the-fuck-up-and-tell-me” hand gesture, he reluctantly went on. “So, if a Source is consumed by another evil, then that other evil entity will get the Source’s power and ultimately become more powerful because of that.”

Every part of my body trembled with all these new developments raining down on me. I could hardly wrap my already packed mind around it. There was only one word haunting my mind.

“Con . . .
consume
?”

Eclipse blinked his eyes in confirmation and finally told me something that made me feel more vulnerable than I had ever felt in my entire life.

“The beating heart of a Source is said to be the most powerful elixir out there. It is so powerful that if a Demon were to drink from your blood and eat your heart, then they would be gifted with the most formidable life-force a Demon could have. A Source is a highly sought after commodity. Demons want it to enhance their powers and to make matters worse for you, your use for Demons makes you a highly sought commodity for Angels as well, for your existence is an abomination to them—a threat to them.”

His voice took on a more ominous pitch.

“
Angels are inflexible; they are Heaven’s most deadly weapons. They are trained to exterminate evil without discrimination and they are trained to prevail over it. Seeking out a Source and killing it before it gets into the hands of a Demon—or gets converted into a Demon—is the most important thing Angels are trained to do in their lifetime. Once they get wind of your existence, they will not stop hunting you until you are dead.”

"And the end of everything on his heels."
31:
Kairos

I felt like I was going to keel over from all that Eclipse was revealing to me.

I could not believe that this was my life.

I was not only sought after by Demons, but by Angels as well. If the Demons found me, then I would be subjected to torture as they would eat my flesh and consume my very being. If the Angels found me, then they would not rest until they had exterminated any trace of my existence. The only thing keeping me safe was a veil and even that was on a time limit. Once the veil lifted on my twenty-first birthday, I would be prey to every powerful entity in existence and I would be hunted for the rest of my life.

Throughout this earthshattering trance, all I could do was gape at Eclipse in horror.

“
This
is why you’re here?” I breathed out, still struggling with the revelations about who—and what—I was. “Why your Elders allowed you to come seek me out?”

I had always surmised that my soul was a big deal for Hell, but I could’ve never imagined what a big deal it actually was.

Eclipse regarded me with a critical expression. “Did you really think the Dark Majesties of Hell would waste their time placing a veil over a simple human soul, Gracie?” He shook his head. “Once we heard about what you did, there was no doubt in any of our minds that a Source—an entity that we’ve been chasing for lifetimes now—has finally made itself known. We knew we had to keep you protected until you reached your twenty-first year, which is said to be the year when your powers will be at its highest. All of Hell was only after you because you killed your family when you were six. They had no idea that you may be a Source, and we kept it this way with the veil over you.”

A cold wind came as he briefly looked away.

“Aside from myself, my brothers, and a few select Elders, it is not a widely known fact that a Source exists. It is not widely known because we’ve done our jobs in keeping it hidden from the rest of the world. Regardless of how much we want to protect you, the thing about the Original Evil is that it does not fear anything, even though it should. For Sources, there is a birthright that each Source goes through after their twenty-first year, one that announces to the world of their powerful existence.”

“The thing that just happened to me,” I whispered horrifically. “That was a birthright? Like some screwed up ‘debutante’ party?” I scoffed disbelievingly. “Isn’t this supposed to happen
after
my twenty-first birthday? Why did it happen tonight?”

The same confusion veiled over his face.

“I do not know why yours occurred before your twenty-first, but I imagined the fates controlling your life anticipated an entity like me to come into your life, to attempt to veer you off course, because it expedited the date and everything took place tonight instead.”

I could feel dread coil within me when I recalled the words he said to me, about this event announcing my existence to the world.

Eclipse’s expression became graver as thunders began to rumble in the distance. He knew what was running through my mind.

“You are the most sought after entity. Now with the admittance of your blood into the depths of Hell and the scent of your existence rising up to the summit of Heaven, I’m afraid you have just made your presence known. I’m also afraid that although the veil is still over you, the rest of the world knows that a Source truly exists now. Once the veil lifts after your twenty-first birthday, everything will come after you. You were infamous before simply because you were the six-year-old murderer, but when it gets out that you’re also a Source, you will have the biggest bull’s-eye on your back.”

He reached his hand out and gently stroked my cold face with his warm fingers. His eyes implored mine as he moved closer to me. “I’m the only one powerful enough to save you, Gracie.”

I regarded him with dismay and recoiled away from him on instinct. “You don’t want to eat my heart?” I incited at once.

If my blood and heart was an elixir for Demons, then there was no way I was going to voluntarily allow this Demon to seduce me when he could very well kill me and eat me at any given moment.

Eclipse shook his head at me, his expression on me still tender. “I’m a Royal Demon, Gracie. My innate strength is already powerful. I have no use for your blood or heart. You and your soul are far more valuable to me alive.”

He sighed, noting the fear in my eyes. Carefully, in an effort to keep me from being afraid of him, Eclipse began to explain to me why he had no use for my blood or heart.

“It is said that if a Demon were to own a Source’s soul and successfully convert them into being a Demon, then that Source will be one of the most powerful Demons in existence. Demons rarely waste time in trying to convert a Source because there are too many dangers involved. It would be easier to kill them, consume their blood, and gain power that way. For me, drinking your blood and consuming your heart will be of no use to me. Because of this, I can fight all the dangers coming to you and I can protect you until your conversion occurs—before you are powerful enough to protect yourself.”

I continued to assess him with caution. “Why would you want me as a Demon?”

“A soldier of your caliber can only mean great things for the world down under, not to mention having a mate like you to keep me in line can only equate to positive things in my Kingdom.” He smiled lightly at me, and I wasn’t sure if he truly meant his last line or not. He didn’t give me time to mull it over before quietly adding, “Stop being stubborn and agree to the conversion, Gracie. It is easier for both of us this way.”

A brittle laugh poured from my lips.

I thought back to the comment about me being a soldier for Hell and a possible mate for him. My mind may have been running in circles, but I wasn’t weak enough to give up my soul. I also wasn’t foolish enough to give in to the prospect of being “mate” to a Demon who probably couldn’t care less about me if his life wasn’t attached to mine.

“Why should I?” I inquired, feeling my bravery return once I was certain that he wasn’t going to drink my blood and eat my heart. “I didn’t want to give you my soul before, do you think I’d give it to you now? I’m going to die anyway. I plan on waiting for the sickness instead of becoming a Demon of all things.”

Eclipse smirked almost too darkly at my stubbornness. “Your death at the mercy of your impending sickness would be a blessing, but you should know that once the veil lifts, there is no exact date as to when you will die. All that you know is that it will happen some time during your twenty-first year. That one year period is a long time. The only sure thing is that entities will come looking for you and they will not stop until they find you—or until you are dead.”

Sternness occupied his eyes.

“You said the other night that you didn’t fear death because it would be a natural death. However, if you were to be caught by a Demon or an Angel, nothing will be natural about it. Either way, if you are caught, you will die a slow, painful, and agonizing death. If a Demon were to find you, they will lay you down, stab you slowly, and take their sweet time reveling in your blood until you begin to die. Everyday, they would cut into your skin, eating away at every meat and bone in your body, and everyday you would beg for a death that they would never grant. Imagine everything that you just experienced tonight . . .”

My body trembled at the remembrance of what I went through tonight.

“Imagine that knife digging into your body, scraping every inch of your bones, and imagine it lasting for weeks . . . months even. And that’s only the prospect of getting caught by a Demon. For an Angel, their wrath is so painful that it is said no matter how quick the death is, it will feel as if you’re being put through a century of agony before your last breath escapes you.” He tucked a loose bang behind my ear with care. “You do not fear death, Gracie, but I know that you fear the transition to death very much. I know that every molecule in your body is shaking in fear because you know nothing but torture awaits you if you get caught by a Demon or an Angel.”

“Why are you the Demon to convert me?” I questioned slowly, apprehensively hugging my body when I reflected upon all the things that were after me—all the thing that wanted me dead.

“Because I see great potential in you, Teacup,” he told me, his smooth voice genuine. “You would become a very instrumental and powerful commodity for Hell if you were to become a Demon. An opportunity like this isn’t something that an entity like me would pass on.”

“This . . . this is unreal,” I unthinkingly uttered, wishing that all of this was just a dream. “I had just started to get used to the idea that Demons existed. Now you’re telling me that Demons and Angels are after me because I’m a Source of Evil?”

“I know that this is a lot to take in,” he said understandably, his features equally frustrated that he had been forced to explain everything right now. It was clear that if he had a choice, he would choose a better time to do this. “Which is why I didn’t want to tell you this early on. I had hoped that you would just give me your soul and we could avoid all of this. But I got screwed over too when I found out something had stolen a piece of your soul.”

He smirked bitterly, staring at me with doting eyes. “Not to mention, my plan was already screwed with your stubbornness. The saying about a Source is true: your species is very territorial. You don’t give up anything easily, you’re as stubborn as the day is long, and you value your soul more than anything. You’d rather die with it than live forever without it. Unfortunately this trait, as admirable as it may be, will be your ultimate death sentence if you don’t make the smart decision and accept me as your ally.”

“This is freaking insane,” I uttered with incredulity. It continued to astound me that I was having this surreal conversation.

“No matter how insane it is, you know that everything I’m saying is true. You know that things are after you and that they will not be kind when they find you.”

Once he saw the fear fully ingrain itself in my eyes, he inched closer to me. I made a move to back up, but he held his hands on my hips, gently keeping me near him. Against my better rationale, I felt my guard lower when he did this—when he forced me to overlook the fucked up dilemmas of my life and just trust him. Despite how afraid I was of everything he told me, at the end of the day, it could never be ignored that Eclipse was also the only anchor—or in human terms, “friend”—in my life. I didn’t trust him entirely, but I trusted him minutely. And for someone like me, that minute trust meant a world of a difference.  

Eclipse held his hand out. His supple fingers brushed against my cheek, making me heat up more than I’d like. With his enthralling gaze still holding mine, he jumpstarted the next stage of our conversation by voicing out words that would sear themselves into me and lead me down a road that would forever change my life—
words that I would never forget.

“You have no idea how special you are, Gracie,” he said to me, his voice soft like the sweetest velvet. “How meaningful your existence is.”

I knew nothing of what he was insinuating, but he paid no mind to that. He paid absolutely no mind to that as he continued, knowingness beating in his voice. It was as if he was confident that, sooner or later, I would understand the contents of his words.

“But I’ll be your guide. I won’t only show you why Heaven cried the night of your birth, but I’ll also show you why Hell will kneel before you on the night of your resurrection.”

He smiled faintly, his coaxing brown eyes holding my unwavering gaze. The warmth of his strong body mated around mine, completely overpowering all the cold air that surrounded me.

Within a split second, the scene changed.

Instead of being on the street, Eclipse returned me to the top of the building we sat on a few nights back. He spread his arms outward while I looked up at the storm-filled sky. Beside us, OinkOink whimpered in awe, no doubt staggered by the sudden change in scenery as well.

“You did
hear Heaven bellow in agony moments prior, did you not?” he prompted as the wind howled around us, as the city skyline glimmered behind him. “You did hear Hell cheer for you from down below, yes?”

A knowing smile edged his lips at my silence—my concurrence that I heard everything. From Heaven’s misery to Hell’s cheers, I heard everything.

“There are so many mysteries that surround you,” Eclipse went on, kindling the growing curiosity from within me. “From the true nature of your powers, to your past with your family, and to your fate as a whole in this world. There are so many things that I can help unearth for you, if only you’d let me help you—if only you’d give me your consent.”

“My soul,” I summed up vigilantly for him. “You need me to make a promise to give my soul to you so you can help me?”

He shook his head, and I felt the perplexity return at full speed. All this time, Eclipse had wanted—no, he had
yearned
for my soul. Now that he had been given a huge opportunity to convince me to give it to him, he wasn’t going to take it?

“I know that you’d rather die with your soul, and I’m more than happy to be here and convince you to give it to me,” he responded, addressing my confusion. “My original plan is ruined because I thought I could persuade you to give me your soul by your birthday. Now that we have to invest time into finding it, I cannot risk you dying anytime soon. I need to extend your life.”