An Eternity of Eclipse (53 page)

“Do not attempt to find the missing part of her soul yet.”

My eyes nearly fell out of their sockets when I registered that she not only knew I was a Source, but that she also knew about the missing part of my soul. How on earth did this Demon woman know so much about me?

Eclipse appeared unfazed by her knowledge of all this “secrecy” as she continued to speak.

“Wait for the hype to die down. There are Demons scouring the globe right now looking for the Source. It is best for you to stay here for the time being.”

“She has a veil,” Eclipse responded coolly, unworried about her warning. “It will protect her from any Demon or Angel who seeks her.”

“Her veil has been weakened,” the woman stated, causing Eclipse and I to freeze in our positions.

“How?” Eclipse asked disbelievingly.

“Perhaps it is because of her birthright event last night.” The line of her mouth hardened and she fixed Eclipse with a scrutinizing stare. “Perhaps it is because you disturbed the veil by having it momentarily lifted to find her. Whatever the reason, her veil is no longer as powerful. The veil’s power is strongest here because this is where she resides. If you leave this city, then the veil will get thinner. Demons who seek her will not be able to find her, but it does not prevent them from being able to ‘stumble’ upon her if she happens to be in close proximity. At that point, even if they are not seeking her, they will be able to see her. If they can see her, then it stands to reason that they will be able to detect if she’s a Source or not. If they find out that she’s a Source, then”—she smirked lethally—“we all know what happens then.”

I swallowed uneasily at the thought of “stumbling” into Demons and them finding out that I was a Source. The mere thought paralyzed my entire being. One of the only things keeping me sane was the fact that I had a veil to protect me. Now that even my veil was becoming weaker, I had never feared the outside world more.

“Stay in Seoul for now,” the Demon woman finished, “I’ll let you know when it’s safe to venture out.”

“Great,” Eclipse remarked dryly, finally showing some distaste when it was announced that our plans to search for my soul had been postponed, “there are Angels and Demons looking to kill the two of us. We are quite the hotshot couple, aren’t we?”

“Did you think converting a Source would be a piece of cake?” the Demon woman mocked lightly. Her cold eyes assessed the notes that were sticking out of my pant pocket. “Though judging by how often this girl sneaks in studying between her life and death situations, it seems that the two of you truly think that it’s a piece of cake.”

“She’s a goody two-shoes.” Eclipse came to my defense at once, not realizing that he had hurtled a dig at me in the process. “She can’t help it.”

Before I could even begin to defend myself against these judgmental Demons, the Demon woman decided to interrupt me for the last time tonight.

“Let’s hope for Eclipse’s sake that you live longer than I believe you will.” She smirked mockingly and inclined her head at me. “Good luck, Source.”

Then within the blink of an eye, she disappeared. In the seconds to follow, the thick fog that came with her began to dissolve as well.

“Who is she?” I asked turning back to Eclipse when nothing but man-made fog surrounded us. Everything was clearer now and I felt more at peace. I held onto Sony, who was beginning to stir in his sleep. I tried to play it cool when I asked my next question. Although the Demon woman had already given me her answer, I wanted to hear his. “Is she your love interest or something?”

Eclipse nearly choked on his own laughter. He regarded me in amusement, clearly loving my envious behavior. “Why? Are you jealous, Teacup?”

“No,” I said quickly, flushing a little bit. Eager to save face, I promptly added, “I just can’t imagine what else she’d be. She not only knew I was a Source, but she also knew that a part of my soul is missing.” My eyes morphed into accusing slits. “It must mean that you confided in her and told her all of my secrets.”

“No,” he corrected at once, derailing my train of accusations. “It means that there is only one other Demon who knows you’re a Source and that you’re missing a part of your soul.”

“
Sloth
told her?” I uttered once I shadowed after his thoughts. Confusion twisted the features of my face. “Why would he tell her?”

“Because he knows that she was once asked to watch over me. Since his lazy ass is too lazy to do it, he relinquished the duty to someone else.”

“Who is she?”

“Her name is Lyna. She’s like my older sister. She and my older brother were close. He once asked her to help watch over me.”

My curiosity was piqued. “Which older brother was she close to exactly?”

“Pride,” Eclipse thoughtlessly answered as we began to navigate around the maze, trying to find our way out. Now that the corn maze was clear of Lyna’s magical fog, I was confident that we would find the exit soon.

“Was she his lover or something?”

Eclipse provided an evasive shrug. “Or something.”

I wrinkled my nose in bitterness. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

“I don’t see the point in wasting our time talking about the complexities of someone else’s relationship,” he said unenthusiastically. “If you want to know their history, then I suggest you ask her yourself.”

“I’m good,” I replied, remembering how much I disliked her. I could stomach asking Eclipse for dirt, but I would never go up to that woman and ask her about her personal life. She terrified me too much.

Pushing my curiosity about someone else’s love life aside, I went back to a more important topic. “Are we going to listen to her? Are we going to stay in Seoul until she gives us the green light?”

“Like I said, Lyna is like my older sister and she keeps her word. If she has agreed to help watch over me, then she will do it to the best of her abilities. If she tells us it is not a good time to seek the missing part of your soul, then it is not a good time. She would never waste our time unless something big is brewing and our lives are truly in danger. We have to be smart about this, Gracie.”

I sighed, nodding my acceptance. I did not like the idea of postponing the mission to find the missing piece of my soul, but I also understood that we had to be strategic. We were going against powerful entities who would stop at nothing to find me—and kill me. If there was another Demon watching out for me, then I would gladly accept her help.

The last thing I needed was to die before finding the rest of my soul.

"And when he is done, the dead sun will rise and the
Ra’viiikv
will ascend."
34:
Fallen Demon

I was very agitated for the next several days.

With Lyna having yet to give us the green light to leave Seoul, I found myself at a stalemate in terms of how to sort out my priorities. Since solving the mysteries of my life was out of the question for the time being, my main priority shifted to something more tangible and practical. At that moment, preparing for my upcoming speech was the most prominent thing on my mind. I know. How much of a goody two-shoes nerd could I be, right?

“You look too stiff. Can you be less socially awkward when you’re standing up there?”

I peered at Eclipse from my notecard, blushing at his critique after completing my informative speech about Dante Alighieri’s
The Divine Comedy
for my public speaking class.

“Am I really that stiff?” I asked self-consciously, taking his criticism to heart. I was desperate to perfect this speech. Since I had an outspoken Demon by my side, I decided to take advantage of his presence.

Dressed in a warm white jacket and blue jeans that were tucked into my boots, I blinked at him while I stood uncomfortably in the library study room.

“You are a bit stiff,” Eclipse confirmed before flashing me a smile, “but you’re getting better every time. I’m very impressed, Gracie.”

My face brightened. This was the first praise he had given me about my public speaking skills. I was shocked and absolutely pleased. “Really? You don’t think I seem too nervous?”

“I really mean it, Gracie. I think you’re doing well.” As an even wider smile was about to take over my face, he slyly added, “Now let’s take a break.”

My smile waned slightly. I let out a disbelieving breath. Was this why he was suddenly complimenting me? Because he wanted to take a break from listening to my speech?

Eclipse rose from his seat and came over to me. “I have somewhere I want to take you. I’ve been patient, waiting for you to finish up your schoolwork. Now that you’re done, let’s get out of here.”

“But my presentation—”

He gave me an assuring look. “You’re more than prepared for it. You don’t want to overdo it, do you? Give yourself some time to breathe. If you overdo it, you might really choke when the time comes to present it.”

“Don’t jinx me,” I chided. The thought of screwing up in front of a hundred classmates terrified me.

“Come on. Just a short break, Teacup,” he continued. He bestowed another coaxing smile before adding the icing on the cake. “I’ll give you your true grade for this presentation if you take a break with me.”

My eyes lit up at this unexpected offer. I couldn’t believe my ears. “Really?”

He blinked in confirmation.

I inwardly gasped, looking at Eclipse like he had offered me water in the sweltering hot desert. I hadn’t seen an “A” in so long that I was beginning to forget what it looked like.
Oh, how I yearned to see that “A” again . . .
They say that beggars can’t be choosers. Since Eclipse had decided to throw me a bone, I accepted it without shame.

“Where are we going?” I asked breathlessly, still shocked that I had a chance of earning the perfect grade I deserved.

“To breathe.”

He extended his hand out, just like he did in the past when he was about to teleport me somewhere. Without a second thought, I took his hand. When our skin made contact, the warmth of the library dissipated and in its place was the cool wind. Instead of standing on solid ground, I was now seated in a confined space that was suspended in the air. With the ocean of stars swimming above us and the sea of carnival lights twinkling below us, I held my breath when I registered where we were sitting.

“A Ferris wheel?” I spluttered out, taken aback by the gesture. Out of all the places for Eclipse to take me, I didn’t think it’d be a Ferris wheel.

“We don’t have this in Hell,” Eclipse shared softly, closing his eyes. He inhaled the fresh air before a cigarette appeared in his hand. He brought the cigarette to his lips and blew out a cloud of smoke that raked over the breathtaking scene ahead of me. “I’ve always wanted to see what the fuss was all about with this contraption.”

The view of the entire city hung brilliantly before us while the fresh air continued to glide gracefully around us. Eclipse was relaxed; I, on the other hand, was my usual paranoid self. I peered down at the brilliantly lit lot, fretfully checking to see if there was anyone down there who could see us.

“What if someone catches us up here?” I asked uneasily.

“You will not get caught,” Eclipse told me with his eyes still closed. The stars kissed the brown hue of his eyes when he opened them. “At the moment, everything is at my mercy and no one will step in here until we’re gone.”

There was something in the way he looked at me that made me feel safe. Nodding quietly, I sat comfortably in my seat. The Ferris wheel began to move, sending shivers of fear and excitement through my body. The sensation of amazement was further heightened when a square bottle appeared in my hand.

I looked down to find the familiar “Jack Daniel’s” black label staring up at me.
My favorite drink.
The cap was already off. The rim of the bottle gleamed under the moonlight, coaxing me to drink from it. I turned to Eclipse to find that in his hand was another full-sized Jack Daniel’s bottle.

“You trying to get me drunk?” I asked suspiciously, clutching the bottle tightly with one hand while holding my notecard with the other. 

Eclipse shook his head, taking his first swig of the powerful whiskey. Lazy satisfaction cascaded onto his face. “I can’t get you drunk, Gracie. You have a high tolerance for alcohol. You’re immune to its charm.”

“That’s not true. You know that Jack Daniel’s is a good alcoholic beverage to get even the best heavy drinkers drunk.”

He smiled sneakily, taking another gulp of the drink. “Do I?”

I frowned. “You’re trying to sabotage me before my presentation tomorrow, aren’t you? You’re trying to get me drunk so I’ll actually get an F.”

“No, Gracie,” he replied with mild humor in his voice. He took a quick puff of his cigarette. “I know this is your favorite drink. I figured you’d be afraid of heights so I needed something to help ease your nerves.” He lifted the bottle up. “Jack Daniel is merely my partner in crime to help me quell your fears.” He chuckled, clinking his bottle with mine. “You deserve a drink after all the things you’ve been through lately, don’t you think?”

It wasn’t until he drank the whiskey for the third time that I lost my willpower. I had been incredibly stressed these past couple of days. As distracting as schoolwork had been, I needed something else to help ease my nerves. I couldn’t say no to Jack Daniel’s.

No longer able to resist, I slowly brought the bottle to my lips. The contents of the bottle traveled down my throat and rested comfortably in my stomach, already helping to alleviate my fear of heights. I expelled a blissful sigh. Though I wasn’t drunk, I was pleased to feel my once tense nerves loosen. Drinking before a big presentation wasn’t something I did often, but in an extenuating circumstance like the one I was facing—being a Source of Evil and all—I figured I deserved a drink or two.

“Why do you keep bringing me to really high places?” I inquired after ingesting another gulp of my drink. My body warmed up substantially as I observed the world below me. Tremors were still overtaking my body, but I also felt amazed. I couldn’t deny the beauty of being up on this Ferris wheel, gazing down at the rest of the world from another vantage point.

“I like knowing that no matter how afraid you are, as long as you’re with me, you’d feel safe.” Eclipse’s lips curved into a witty smile. “Plus, I like having you to myself. Standing on the ground would mean that I would have to share your attention with the rest of the world. If we’re on top of the world, staring down at the rest of creation, then I can have you all to myself.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. His answer, sweet as it was, wasn’t his real reason. “Why are we really up here, Eclipse?”

He took a second to assess me with a thoughtful expression. “I want to make you feel better.”

“Who says I’m feeling down?”

His pleasant smile persevered. “A lot of crazy shit is taking place in your life, Gracie. You drown yourself in your studies because you want to be distracted from it. It is an effective distraction, but it isn’t always healthy. Since I’m around you constantly, I feel it is my duty to help relieve your stress in a more fun way—even if it’s only momentarily.”

I turned to him, taking note of the tone in his voice and how stressed he sounded. Judging by how much he was drinking, I didn’t believe his sole reason for coming here was just for me.

“You didn’t bring me here to just make me feel better, did you?”

Eclipse released a quiet laugh and closed his eyes again to breathe in the fresh air. After taking another swig of his drink, he said, “I know I may not show it all the time, but I’m very stressed too.”

I raised a brow, amused with the poignant side that Eclipse was showing. “What could the normally collected and playful Demon be stressed out about?”

“You’re my soul mate now, Gracie,” he reminded me offhandedly, lifting his eyelids. His eyes were glowing a lighter shade of brown, seemingly becoming more luminous every time he opened them. “What goes on in your life affects me more than you’ll ever know. The more complicated your life gets, the more complicated mine gets. There is something out there with the missing part of your soul, there are Demons out there looking to devour you, and there are Angels out there looking to kill you.” He laughed self-mockingly, allowing another swig of whiskey to travel down his throat. “Since my existence is attached to yours, it makes sense that I would be stressed along with you, right?”

I grinned playfully at him. “What happened to being my big, bad Guardian Demon and being the only one capable of protecting me?”

Eclipse chuckled, leaning back as the Ferris wheel continued its rotation. “Just because I’m stressed out and need some air doesn’t mean that I’m incapable of protecting you. If anything, being stressed only means that I will do a better job of watching over you.” He flashed me another big smile. “Chin up, Teacup. You have every right to be stressed, but you shouldn’t let it consume you. We’re being given a small break from everything right now. We should enjoy it while it lasts.”

I smiled lightly at his suggestion before something interesting came floating to my mind.

“What did you mean when you said you wanted to see what the fuss was all about with this contraption?”

“Humans seem to really enjoy this ride,” he noted in a nonchalant tone, his eyes running along the view. Nothing but appreciation inhabited his gaze. “For whatever reason, being suspended in the sky and moving in a circular motion seems to give you humans a stress-reliever of sorts. I wanted to see if it would work for the two of us since we’re both royally screwed by life.” He eyed me lightheartedly. “So you have to tell me, Teacup. Is this stress-reliever working? Are you enjoying this ride?”

I shrugged, taking in another drink. I feigned indifference. “I guess.”

Secretly, I loved it. How many people could say that they had an entire Ferris wheel to themselves—with a Demon, no less—while drinking Jack Daniel’s? Despite my fear of heights, I loved everything about it. I just didn’t want to admit to Eclipse that he finally did something right.

With a knowing smile that secretly said,
“I know you’re having a blast”
he said nothing more. He merely sat closer and allowed his warmth to embrace me.

Together we sat in the silence, smoking (on Eclipse’s part), drinking, and reveling in the scenery around us.

“What’s the meaning of life?” I asked unthinkingly, breaking our pensive silence. I realized that it was lame. It was such a childish, mundane, and unimportant question in the scheme of everything I could have asked a Demon who had seen the lifetimes. Silly or not, the end result would be irrefutable. I would be the luckiest human alive if I found out the true answer to this eternal question.

Jerked out of his reverie, Eclipse faced me, his expression quizzical. It looked like he was about to drop his cigarette because he was so staggered by the query I posed. “I’m sorry?”

“It just occurred to me that I might as well make use of you and ask you questions about the world,” I explained to him when I saw the curiosity spread across his face. 

Eclipse laughed warmly at my answer. He took a tiny pause to assess the childishness that emanated from me. No longer able to hide his affections, the Demon wrapped an endearing arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him, tucking me close to his body.

“I’m not telling you anything, Gracie,” he whispered into my ear, his voice sounding absolutely melodic.

I gathered all the wits I had and frowned at him, fighting to get out from his hold. I wasn’t successful; he only held on tighter with care.