Nora Roberts - The Hollow

“ ‘He said to me that the world is old, older than any man can know. It is not as we have been taught, nor what we are told to believe in the faith of my father and my mother. Or that is not all of it. For, he said, in this old, old time before man came to be, there were others. Of the others there were the dark and the light. This was their choice, for there is always the freedom to choose. Those who chose the light were called gods, and the dark ones demons.

“ ‘There was death and blood, battles and war. Many of both were destroyed as man came to be. It was man who would spread over the world, who would rule it and be ruled by it. It was coming to, he said, the time of man, as was right. Demons hated man even more than they hated gods. They despised and envied their minds and hearts, their vulnerable bodies, their needs and weaknesses. Man became prey for the demons who survived. It came to be that those gods who survived as well became guardians. Battle after battle raged until there were only two, one light, one dark. One demon, one guardian. The light pursued the dark over the world, but the demon was clever and cunning. In this last battle, the guardian was wounded mortally, and left to die. There came upon this dying god a young boy, innocent and pure of heart. Dying, the god passed his power and his burden to the boy. So the boy, a mortal with the power of gods, became guardian. The boy became a man, hunting the dark. The boy became a man who loved a woman with the power of magic, and they had a son. At his death, the guardian passed his power and his burden to his son, and so it was done over all the years. Lifetime by lifetime, until this time, until this place. Now, he said, it is for us.

“ ‘I knew he spoke truth, for I saw it in the fire as he spoke. I understood the dreams I have had all of my life that I never dared speak of to any living soul. There, in the firelight, I pledged myself to him. There, in the firelight, I gave myself to him. I would not go back to the house of my father but live with my beloved in the wood, in the stone cabin near the altar Giles called the Pagan Stone.’ ”

Quinn leaned back. “Sorry, my eyes are blurring.”

“It’s enough for now.” Cal handed her the glass of water he’d poured. “It’s a lot for now.”

“It jibes with some versions of the lore that trickled down.” Shifting, Cybil studied her notes. “The battles, the passing of power. The way I’m reading this is there’s only this single demon left. I’m not sure if I buy that, I’m a little too superstitious. But it could be interpreted that this is the only demon known to walk the world freely, at least every seven years. Why didn’t he mate before Hester Deale? That’s curious, isn’t it?”

“Maybe he couldn’t get it up.” Gage smiled thinly.

“I don’t think that’s far off. I think, however sarcastic, it’s a viable theory.” Cybil held up a finger. “Maybe they couldn’t mate with humans, it couldn’t. But as Giles apparently discovered a way to imprison the thing, at least for a time, it discovered a way to procreate. Each side evolving, so to speak. Every living thing evolves.”

“Good thought,” Fox agreed. “Or it might be that up until Hester, it was shooting blanks, so to speak. Or the women it violated never came to term for one reason or another. We should take a break. Quinn’s been at it a couple hours now, and I don’t know about anyone else, but I could use some fuel.”

“Don’t look at me,” Cybil said firmly. “I cooked last time.”

“I’ll do it.” Layla pushed to her feet. “Can I root around in the kitchen, Cal, until I come up with something?”

“Have at it.”

She was bent over, head in the refrigerator, when Fox walked in. When a man thought how good a woman’s ass looked in baggy, drooping shorts, he decided, that man had it bad.

“Thought I could give you a hand.”

She straightened, turned with her hands full of a pack of American cheese slices, a pound of bacon, and a couple of hothouse tomatoes. “I thought grilled cheese, bacon, and tomato sandwiches. Maybe a quick pasta salad on the side if he’s got something I can throw together for that. I can handle it.”

“Because you want me out of here.”

“No.” She dumped the armload on the counter. “I’m not mad. It’s too much trouble to stay mad. You could see if the clothes are dry so I could get out of these shorts and into my own clothes.”

“Sure. But you look kind of cute.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You’re not looking at you.” Gauging her mood, he stepped forward. “I can slice tomatoes. In fact, it’s one of my more amazing skills. Plus.” He kept moving in until she was backed against the counter with his hands planted on either side of her. “I know where Cal keeps the pasta.”

“Making you invaluable in the kitchen?”

“I hope not. Layla.” His eyes roamed her face. “I’m not going to tell you what to think or how to feel, or when to take those thoughts and feelings out of whatever box you need to keep them in. But I think about you. I feel for you. Unlike slicing tomatoes, packing away thoughts and feelings isn’t one of my finer skills.”

“I’m afraid of you.”

Instant and complete shock ran over his face. “What? Of me? Nobody’s afraid of me.”

“That’s absolutely not true. Deputy Napper is afraid of you. It’s part of the reason he keeps after you. But that’s a different kind of thing anyway. I’m afraid because you make me feel things I’m not sure I’m ready to feel, want things I’m not sure I’m ready to want. It would probably be easier if you rushed me, just did the sweep-off-the-feet routine because then I wouldn’t have to feel responsible for my own choices.”

“I could try that.”

“No.” She shook her head. “You won’t. You’re not built that way. Relationships are partnerships, sex is a mutual act and decision. That’s how you were raised from the ground up, that’s who you are. And it’s part of what attracts me and makes it harder at the same time.”

She put a hand on his chest, nudged slightly. When he eased back, she smiled as the basic action and reaction proved her point.

“I’m afraid of you,” she continued, “because you’d run into a burning building to save a dog. Because you’d take what was my share of pain and trauma. You were right before. It’s your nature. It wasn’t just because it was me. You’d have done the same if it had been Cal or Gage, Quinn or Cybil. A complete stranger. I’m afraid of what you are because I’ve never known anyone like you. And I’m afraid that I’ll take the chance, I’ll reach out and take hold, then I’ll lose you because, exactly because of who you are.”

“All this time, I never knew I was such a scary guy.”

She turned away, took a knife from the block, set it on the cutting board. “Slice the tomatoes.”

She opened a cupboard, found the pasta herself. As she hunted up pan and skillet, his phone rang. She glanced over as he read the caller ID. “Hey, Mom and/or Dad. Yeah. Really?” He set the knife down again, leaned on the counter. “When? No kidding. Sure, sure.” He tipped the phone away, murmured to Layla. “My sister and her partner are flying in. What?” he said into the phone. “No, not a problem. Ah, listen, while I’ve got you… We were out at the farm today, me and the rest. Early this morning. The thing is…” He trailed off, walked away into the adjoining laundry room.

Layla smiled as she heard the murmur of his voice. Yes, it was his nature, she thought as she put on water for the pasta. To save dogs, to be honest. And to explain to Mom and/or Dad just why he’d chiseled a stone out of their old shed.

It was hardly a wonder she was half in love with him.