Chapter 12: Uncle John

"Well, well, if it isn't my little niece," Uncle John singsongs from a few yards away. His demeanor is way off-as if he's gained tons of confidence and a personality.

"Uncle John, what are you doing here?" I ask, genuinely confused.

He cocks his head and smiles sarcastically, like I've just told him a dirty joke. "Why don't you ask your-" He stops and looks up at Dominic and I swear I see his face change. Like he's actually seeing him for the first time and is slightly intimidated. "Friend."

"I don't understand," I admit, craning my neck to look up at Dominic. His eyes flash with a tinge of red directed straight at the big dude standing next to Uncle John.

"Stay away from her, Malum," Dominic bites out.

Holy shit, they know each other?

The bile in his voice sends a chill down my neck and if I didn't know him so well, I would already be running. Instead, I move closer, wrapping both arms tightly around him.

"Ipsa morietur!" Malum growls in a deep, sadistic voice, spreading his arms as grotesque, thorn-like wings somehow burst through his flesh. The heavy, sickening smell of copper and sulfur pours down the back of what used to be his arms, sending instant nausea to my gut.

Dear

God...

Dominic shoves me behind him and shouts, "Esto ab ea!"

The rage in his voice pierces my eardrums and my hands slam against my ears. I look up only to see his black cloak transform into some sort of metal armor, and then massive, beautiful black wings spread out behind him. They're incredible, even breathtaking, and if I weren't so freaked out right now I'd reach out to touch them.

Dominic stands at least three feet above Malum as they face one another, gearing up to fight. Uncle John runs toward me with an impressive burst of speed, like he was waiting for the chance to pounce. Before I can react, he grabs the collar of my sweater, yanking up and dragging me down the hill. I see Dominic whip his head in my direction but Malum bolts straight for him, forcing him to take his eyes off me and fight.

"Let go of me!" I scream, flailing my arms as I try reaching for a rock embedded solidly in the ground to stop his momentum.

"Shut up! I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Uncle John shouts in a deep voice I barely recognize.

Managing to grasp the rock's edge, I'm able to maneuver my body around, pulling him down with my legs. He lands hard on his back. He may be bigger than me but he's not faster. I have a split second to take control. Images of Papa, who taught me everything I know about getting out of impossible situations, flash in my head. The echo of his voice is still loud and clear: "Stay in control and breathe, Kate..."

Without warning, Uncle John gets to his feet and dives at me with a look of fury I've never seen in his eyes. He misses when I quickly turn, gripping his arm, and we lock eyes. All I see is black, even where the whites should be. I shove my other hand around his shoulder, twisting with all I have. I hear a pop as he drops to his knees and I realize I have a straight shot for his crotch. I draw back my foot but stop when I hear my name.

"Kate! No!" Aunt Kelly screams as she sprints toward us.

Before I know it, Uncle John jerks me up from behind, tightly wrapping his arm around my chest and pushing something sharp against my neck. 

"Stay back, Kelly! I swear I'll slit her throat if you take one more step."

Aunt Kelly stops instantly, only feet from us, and I watch her expression change. "John! What...what's wrong with your eyes?" She takes another step.

"Stay away!" he growls, tightening his grip around me as he pushes the knife a little harder into my flesh.

Aunt Kelly's hands go up in surrender and she looks at me with something far more than worry. It's more like devastation. Tears roll down her cheeks and I close my eyes, wishing-no, praying-I can do something, anything to get away from him. But his hold is too tight and if I move even slightly, I have no doubt he'll slit my throat right here. He wants me dead, that much is clear.

Please, Papa...help me...please...

An electric jolt runs through my body and I flinch from the shock. My eyes flash open and somehow I'm free from Uncle John's grip. I watch as Uncle John trips forward in slow motion. We lock eyes as he realizes I got away; he grunts and charges after me, the blade of the knife pointed straight at me.

"John, nooo!" Aunt Kelly shrieks and slams her eyes shut. "Gladio pereat!"

Whatever she said was in the same language Dominic and Malum used. Maybe Latin? Aunt Kelly knows Latin?

And if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. The knife actually jerks from his hand as if someone yanked it away and goes flying through the air, landing sideways on the ground.

Uncle John's expression changes from fury to confusion. His gaze darts from me to Aunt Kelly, like we've both performed some kind of magic trick. Now he's the docile housedog surrounded by two wild predators. He crouches, ready to fight. A loud thump cracks to the ground and I recognize the spikey, bloody wings. The creature, Malum or whatever he is, doesn't move. He's obviously dead.

My stomach drops because I don't see Dominic anywhere. I want to scream his name or run like hell to find him but I can't because Uncle John pulls up an enormous rock and hurls it straight at me. His strength is frightening and I have to react quickly, ducking the blow. Something pushes me out of the way from behind. I fall to my knees and glance up to see Dominic, back to his hooded self, no wings or armor in sight.

He stops only inches away, his hand going out like he's a priest about to bless his congregation. "Et abiit post bestiam!"

Uncle John starts to shake and drops hard to his back. Aunt Kelly sprints toward him but Dominic raises his other hand in warning. The message is clear and she stops, her palms covering her mouth.

"Et abiit post bestiam!" Dominic shouts again, only this time, I see Uncle John's eyes change back to normal, no longer solid black

Aunt Kelly gasps so I assume she saw it too.

Uncle John blinks a few times and looks around in a daze. He shakes his head. "Where am I?"

"You are safe," Dominic answers, reaching out to me.

I rush to him and fall into his arms, kissing his neck. I feel something wet on his back and look down at my hand, gasping when I see that it's covered in blood. Dominic stumbles but rights himself as his face goes white. My heart starts pounding in my chest. 

I can actually feel his weakness and his willingness to leave his body.

Oh my God, he's bleeding to death!

No!

No!

No!

"Zack!" I scream so loudly my voice cracks.

Dominic stumbles again and I push against him, grunting as I try to steady his enormous frame. Aunt Kelly looks up from tending to Uncle John, who's still in a fog, and rushes to Dominic's other side. Even with both of us holding him he still overpowers our efforts and drops to his knees, his blank face creating a new pit in my stomach.

"We need to get him on his side!" I yell, cringing at the pool of crimson that continues to drain out of him, drenching the knees of my jeans. "Shit, he's bleeding too much!"

"John!" Aunt Kelly shouts. "We need you!"

Her voice, or maybe her urgency, snaps him out of it. He whips his face toward us, quickly scurrying over to help.

"Hurry, press your hand here and push it hard!" I guide Uncle John to the left side of Dominic's back, placing his shaky palm against the deepest gash.

I stand for a second, letting Aunt Kelly and Uncle John help him down. I frantically scan the area for Zack, hoping he heard me.

How can he not know what's going on?!

"Kate," Aunt Kelly screams, "do something!"

What am I supposed to do? The desperation in her voice practically knocks me down as new tears cascade down my cheeks. I collapse next to Dominic's lifeless body. I don't know what to do or how to fix him. His eyes are closed and I can feel him slipping away. My fingers quiver as they gently touch his face-he may have saved my life but he's losing this battle.

"You can't die... You can't die..." I say so softly even I can barely hear my words.

I scoot my body closer and press my lips tenderly to his. He doesn't move or react the way I so desperately want him to, so I close my eyes and kiss him again, willing him to react. It isn't working. It's as if the life has completely drained out of him; it feels like my heart is ripping in half.

Please, Dominic. Please don't leave me...

Without warning, an electric shock bolts through my veins and it's as though I'm being lifted from my body. I'm floating above us, looking down. I see my body next to his, can still feel his lips pressed against mine. I want him to live so badly that in this moment, right here, right now, I will do anything to bring him back-anything. I'm not sure if it's because he already marked me as his mate, but suddenly, it's like I'm releasing all apprehension and bonding myself back to him. I would even give my life for his. Until now, I had no idea how much this man means to me. I-I love him. I am truly, wholeheartedly, with every ounce of my being, in love with this man.

My eyes flash open when Dominic's mouth begins to move. I can feel my energy or my essence or whatever makes me live literally being pulled out of me; I can see it moving from my body into his. Then he inhales so deeply it's like he just took his first breath after being under water for too long. He exhales and I pull back, no longer watching from above as I stare into his eyes, watching them slowly blink back open.

I yank him to me, crying like I've never cried before. It's as if every single bad thing that's happened in my life has finally come to a head. Papa dying, my parents dying, the fire, Zach, Aunt Kelly knowing things she never told me, and now this. I clutch Dominic's neck so tightly, I'm almost surprised when I feel his arms wrap about me. I look up to see those beautiful brown eyes I wanted so desperately to see again.

"Do not cry, my love," he whispers. 

At the sound of his voice, I nestle my tear-soaked face further into his chest. His palm cups the back of my head, cradling me safely to him. He's alive, somehow he's alive, and at this point, I don't care how and I don't care why. All that matters is that we're both okay.

I look up at the sound of my name, squinting at the silhouette of a man walking toward us. Dominic's body stiffens, as if ready to lunge, but I squeeze his hand, urging him to wait a second. There's something familiar about him; something in the way he walks-

"Skylar?"

He stops a few feet away. "H-hey Kate," he stutters, looking from me to Dominic, like he's just seen a ghost.

"W-what you doing here?"

He kicks the ground, looking down. "I...uh...I thought I might find you here," he finally says, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Why?" I don't even try to disguise my confusion.

"I was worried about you." He pauses and looks down again as if embarrassed. "A few days ago, I followed you here and hid behind a headstone." He glances back up. "I watched you run after him into the woods." He nods to Dominic, who rises to his feet, pulling me along with him.

I stay silent and let him keep talking. I know there's more.

"You weren't answering my texts so I decided to try looking for you once more." Skylar stops, shaking his head like he's trying to get his story straight. "When you weren't at the motel, I came here. That's when your uncle and some big dude in a hoodie approached me, asking questions about you." He turns his gaze to Uncle John, who's back to looking clueless as hell.

"Questions-about me?" I ask, slipping both hands around Dominic's arm to keep him close.

Skylar's eyes come back to me. "Yeah. Like if I knew where you were and when I saw you last."

"Did the Demon speak?" Dominic bites out. His question was simple, but I can tell Skylar is frightened of him.

"Demon?" Skylar repeats the word and swallows.

Dominic doesn't answer but a look of realization clouds Skylar's face, as if he just figured out Dominic was referring to the big guy in the hoodie.

"Not that I can remember. He was too busy sniffing the air and giving me dirty looks."

If the situation weren't so serious, that would've made me laugh.

"He knows too much!" Dominic whispers in my ear, his tone riddled with urgency.

I nod and look back to Skylar, realizing his accidental involvement will change his life forever. How the hell am I going to explain the impossible to him? I mean, he's already witnessed the unexplainable, but now he's part of it. Someone I care about, someone who's completely innocent in all this, will have to somehow keep us a secret.

Aunt Kelly, who's been tending to Uncle John, no doubt trying to answer all his questions, cocks her head and walks a little closer. It's obvious she wants to hear what Dominic and I are discussing. Uncle John follows behind.

Dominic glances over to the remains of the Demon, lying on the ground in a sickening, bloody heap of skin guts and bones. "We should go, before the stench of death is detected."

Aunt Kelly's eyes go wide. "We can't just leave him here!" She points her finger at Skylar.

I know what Dominic is thinking before he says a word. "We're not," I answer, with more clarity than I've had in days. "He's coming with us."