Soothing jazz music serenaded the rustic Italian restaurant as people sat in their designated seats to feast and converse. Lucas and I were seated in a booth across from each other with our food served on plates that matched the checkered interior design. He stared down at the last portion of his meal with his messy, bleach-blond hair covering his blue eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, watching him dig into his lasagna.

“Nothing. I’m good.”

“Uh-huh. Did you forget I can sense bad vibes? What’s up?”

He huffed and finally looked at me before speaking. “What do you think? I just had to pick you up from some guy’s house you broke into. All because you wanna play paranormal investigator and save the world with your light magic. It’s crazy and dangerous, Ali.”

I hated when he got like this. It was times like these when I wished he could read my mind and understand my heart. Maybe then he’d realize that purging demons wasn’t a game to me. It’s what gave me direction in a world I was so lost in. If it wasn’t for the power I had, I wouldn’t know what to do with my life.

“So what do you want me to do?” I asked him. “I know you can’t see the demons or the purple mist that shows up whenever they’re around, but actual monsters are out there making dark desires come true and feeding off that negativity. People are being manipulated, Lucas. You acted like you supported me when I showed you the light in my hand a few months ago, but now you’re against the whole thing?”

“Because I don’t want you to die,” he blurted louder than I had expected him to. His voice caught the attention of a few people sitting at the tables nearby. “You get so caught up in your own pleasures that you don’t realize the people suffering closest to you. Seriously, Ali. It’s gotten to the point where I’m ready to tell your parents because I’m sick of seeing bruises on your body and not knowing if you’ll be here with me to see another day. How do you expect me not to be worried about you?”

“I don’t know, okay? But I can’t just ignore it. If I don’t use this power given to me by who-knows-what, can you imagine how messed up this city would be?”

He slouched back and sighed. His concern for me was being voiced through anger, and I couldn’t blame him for that. But at the same time, I was growing more irritated because I wanted him to listen and understand my side in the argument.

“Okay, say I go along with everything you’ve told me,” he started, “it still doesn’t explain these abilities you have. You claim demons possess people and give them powers based on their strongest desire, so why is it you can do what you do? Are you blessed by an angel or something?”

“I really don’t know, and honestly, trying to figure it out just gives me a headache.”

“Well, I think we need to talk about it,” he persisted, sitting up in his seat. At this point, I was hoping he’d leave the subject alone and take me home, but he kept going. “All of this stuff started happening three months ago after your brother died in that school shooting. I think you’re still blaming yourself for the whole thing and risking your life to help others because you feel it’ll make up for what happened.”

And of course he’d say the one thing to make me cross my arms and look away with a scowl. I didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. Part of my motivation to make the city a better place came from the loss of my brother, who died in a school shooting responsible for the death of nineteen students. If I had made a different decision before the incident, I could have prevented not only his death, but the loss of eighteen others as well.

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“You didn’t have to go there, Lucas. Like, I’m done. Take me home.”

He reached his hand over the table to grab mine. “Babe, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up the shooting, but if everything we’re talking about is true, then there must be others out there with supernatural abilities who can help people with their problems. I just wish you’d stop what you’re doing and live a normal life again. I can’t lose you.”

Ugh. I hated feeling conflicted, but maybe he had a point.

“Fine. Whatever. I do what I do for a reason, but I guess I should’ve thought more about how you’d feel. And yeah, I shouldn’t be putting myself in dangerous situations. So, okay. It’ll be tough, but I promise I’ll only use my power if I have to.”

“Thanks, babe. I love you.”

We both leaned in and pressed our lips together in hopes of a tongue-twisting exchange, but the grumbling of a nearby couple caused a quick end to our embrace.

“We should continue this at your place,” he suggested with a smirk.

“Why mine? You and your dad still at it?”

“Yeah. You know he’s been an annoying piece of crap since my mom passed away, so I don’t feel like getting into it with him if he sees you’re over late tonight. Hell, just a few hours ago, I told him I haven’t applied to more colleges because I’ve been focusing on the band. What does he do? He goes on a rant about my decision and locks away the guitar Mom gave me like I’m still some damn kid. I can’t stand him, Ali. I need some kind of escape from everything that’s been going on lately.”

I didn’t have the perfect response to make him feel better, which I thought was crazy seeing as I’ve been helping others with their problems for the past three months. All I could do was interlock our fingers and say, “No matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you. Always. Now let’s get out of here.”

After paying the check and tipping the waiter, we exited the restaurant and walked to the parking lot, stopping to take a picture to share on social media along the way. He opened the passenger door of his car and waited for me to sit inside.

“Your ride awaits, my lady,” he voiced in a polite tone. I snorted at his debonair mannerism.

Before sliding into the vehicle, I noticed a purple fog had begun to form around the empty lot, confirming the presence of a malicious demon. The murky beast soon came into view, lurking behind a truck.

“Everything cool, Ali?”

The promise I made to him shot to the forefront of my mind as if it was the most important thing in my life. Breaking it was something I couldn’t do, no matter how much I wanted to at that moment.

“Yeah, I’m good. It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

Disappointed, I got in the car and looked out of the window as Lucas drove away from the area. The demon’s aura dwindled, but the regret of not purging it remained in my mind.

Saving New York City just got a lot more complicated.

***

Sneaking inside my bedroom was never fun for me and Lucas, but it was necessary whenever we wanted privacy. The struggle began with him climbing the tree next to my house and leaping onto the curved roof of the garage attached to the home—where my bedroom window was located. He then lifted the already cracked window before I made my way up the tree and extended my arm for him to take. He used both his hands to pull me onto the roof, losing his balance in the process and causing both of us to fall through the window into my bedroom. We laughed as I laid on top of him with my face buried in his chest.

“Looks like I’m on top this time,” I whispered.

“I don’t mind at all,” he replied, caressing my thighs.

I smiled and slid off him, taking off my jacket and throwing it across the auburn room in awkward seduction. He chuckled and rose off the velvet rug, removing his hoodie and tossing it on the burgundy blanket folded at the bottom of my bed. I lifted his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor before we pressed our bodies together and kissed. The dancing of our tongues didn’t last long, though, as they separated at the sound of my cell phone ringing.

“You wanna get that?” he asked, placing his hands on my hips and looking into my hazel eyes. I slid my hand into my pants pocket and took out my phone to look at the screen. The caller was my best friend, Valeria.

“I’ll call her back later,” I said, tapping decline and placing my phone down on the nightstand behind me. I needed to put Lucas first. For once.

We jumped back into our lip-locking exchange in hopes of rebuilding the sexual tension, but our moment was interrupted yet again by the ringing of my phone.

“This’ll be quick, I promise,” I assured him, picking up the phone to look at the screen. This time, the caller wasn’t Valeria.

“Damn. It’s my—”

A knock on the door forced my eyes to widen. “Aliyah, I hear your phone ringing.” My mother’s voice was stern on the other side. “Open this door right now.”

Uh-oh.