Lexi took that as her cue to leave, slipping from the room she didn’t envy her brother or what questions he would be fired with. Emma seemed like a smart girl who wouldn’t be easy to brushed-off. There was always persuasion, but she didn’t think that Travis would steep to his usually tactics. Something told her that Emma was different, and her brother wouldn’t be able to bring himself to do anything that would deceive her.
Watching him saunter into the room, the chills for the first time began to slowly dissipate. She could count on Travis to warm her blood. Even with the confusion she was feeling about him not being normal, her body still responded to his presence. She couldn’t decide if that was good or bad. Did it really matter?
The heart wanted what the heart wanted.
Her eyes clung to the sight of him as a million uncertainties tumbled into her head. One thing was certain, Travis like Lexi looked angelic beside firelight. Ambers flickered, catching a glimmer of a glow in his eyes.
She knew that there was more under the surface than meets the eye. Bracing herself for the unexpected, she figured she was in for a shock.
“You look better,” he said, thinking how blue and limp she had been in his arms. Never had he been so scared and out of his mind before.
Her lips upturned at the corners. “No thanks to you.” Casting her eyes down, she fingered the fleece blanket draped over her. “What you did–”
“Em, I–” he ran a hand through his blond hair, tousling it.
She wasn’t ever sure she had seen Travis unnerved before and didn’t think she liked it. His carefree confidence was just a part of him.
Taking a deep breath he knew he had to tell her the truth. He had flirted with the idea of making her forget, but now looking into her large emerald eyes he couldn’t bring himself to do it. She was too important. “I don’t even know where to start.”
Her heart lurched at his stress. Putting a hand on his, she sought to comfort him. “Travis you’re different, I can feel it.”
He nodded his head. “I am. I’m just afraid that when I tell you it will change how you see me.”
She angled her head waiting for him to explain.
“You are the first person I’ve met who isn’t afraid of me. You have no idea what that means. My whole life people besides other Divisa’s can hardly stand to be near me.”
“Divisa’s?” she interrupted, confused by the word.
He realized he was divulging right into the heart of the matter without really explaining himself. “Sorry,” he smiled timidly. “I’m getting ahead of myself. Divisa is what we call ourselves, people like me. Half-humans, half-demons.” He paused and lifted his eyes to hers.
They widened into giant green saucers. But she didn’t run from the room screaming or shrink away from him. That alone allowed him to start breathing again.
Emma thought she was having trouble hearing him. Did he just say that he was part demon? Like in hell and the devil? How could that be? Travis wasn’t demonic. She didn’t believe it.
“I’m sorry did you just say demon?”
He watched the array of emotions cross her face as understanding started to seep in. “I did. I know it’s a lot to take in, and I wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t trust you. No one can know.”
He had to be joking. She almost felt like she was drowning again. The ache in her chest made it hard to breath. God she hoped her expression wasn’t as overwhelmed as she was inside. She sucked at poker faces. Her Travis was part demon. If she thought her parents would have a cow about her dating, she couldn’t imagine how they would react to a half-demon.
She didn’t know what that really meant. “What does that mean, being half-demon?” She practically choked on the word.
He leaned back against the couch assured now she wouldn’t run. In reality, it didn’t matter. He would catch her before she reached the doorway. “It means that I am cursed. My veins are filled with demon blood. There is a part of me that isn’t human. It’s evil.”
Emma studied him. She couldn’t fathom it. Travis evil. It just didn’t make sense. He had saved her life and here he was telling her that he was evil. “If what you are saying is true, how did it happen?”
“I promise you. What I say is true. I won’t lie to you. It is not a condition that you are infected with. I was born with it. My dad was compelled by a demon – a female demon. When Lexi and I were born she dumped us on our dad’s doorstep. He didn’t have the first clue what he was dealing with let alone how to raise two children.”
She sucked in a sharp breath at the image of two tiny babies being abandoned. All she could see was Abi’s chubby cheeks and couldn’t possible begin to understand how a mother could do that. Demon or not.
“Not precisely mother of the year, but truthful she did us a favor. Demons often destroy their hybrid offspring. And if they aren’t trying to kill us off, the hunters are. Lucky for Lexi and I, our mother doesn’t seem to give two shits and leaves us alone. But Chase, well he isn’t so lucky.”