Chapter 22 - Eleanor - Purge With My Demons

I sent Giordana yet another text message. Between the several messages and calls, I was getting concerned. It was not like her not to reply to any of my attempts to reach her.

Eleanor:

G please. I just want to make sure you’re okay.

I didn’t know what else to do at this point. I tried calling Ty and Felix. No one had heard from her.

As I stood in Owen’s room, I soaked in his warm sandalwood scent. Each breath I took, I was a little more at ease. Knowing Owen was just downstairs in the kitchen was a huge part of easing my anxieties as well. Grabbing a blanket from Owen’s couch, I began walking downstairs.

“Breakfast is almost ready, gorgeous.” Owen’s deep voice was in my mind as I took the stairs to the kitchen.

“On my way, stud.”

“Stud?” he asked as I rounded the corner.

I wrapped myself in the blanket and sat on the stool in front of Owen. “I was trying something, but it didn’t work.” He pulled me into a hug from behind.

“He likes to be called daddy,” Finn remarked from where he was cooking on the stove.

Looking up at Owen, I quirked my brow. “Would you prefer daddy?” By the look on his face, I did the whole speaking through our minds thing correctly. His hand reached for my neck.

“Call me daddy anytime you want, Eleanor. But keep it up now, and we are going back upstairs.”

I bit my bottom lip and looked forward quickly.

Owen was going to be the death of me.

Cora, Ashton, and Tristan joined us in the kitchen for breakfast. Finn cooked so much food—eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, anything we could have wanted, he made it. We sat around their giant kitchen island, eating and chatting.

“Guys, I need to talk to you about this morning.” Everyone quieted down, directing their attention to Owen. “Amon summoned me.”

Cora dropped her fork. “What the fuck, Owen? You’re never supposed to go without telling one of us.”

“I know.” Owen did his best to try and placate Cora. By the look on her face, I could tell this wasn’t the first time this had happened.

“I did tell someone. Two people actually,” Owen insisted. “I texted Finn, and El knew I was gone.”

“Whoa, I had no idea where you were going. I don’t feel like I count.” I threw my hands up in a defensive gesture.

“Gorgeous, you're supposed to be on my side.”

I shrugged in response.

“Does it matter? It’s over now, let’s just move on. What did he want?” Tristan said as he ate yet another piece of bacon.

“Okay, grumpy.” Ashton shoved Tristan lightly, and he gave them a sympathetic look.

Owen set his coffee mug down and began to tell everyone what Amon needed this morning. I didn’t understand a lot of what he was talking about, but I didn’t want to interrupt with my endless questions.

“The smoke I have in my demon form apparently isn’t smoke, it’s Noxen.” I clung to Owen’s every word, even when I didn’t understand what he was talking about. I was committing each part to memory.

Ashton leaned forward on their elbows. “Wait Owen, Noxen isn’t a physical thing like that. Isn’t it a charm or something?”

“That’s what I always thought. What Amon thought too, I think. But Mannox told us that when Amon created me back then, he created a weapon to kill demons without even realizing he did. Mannox tricked him into it.”

“What exactly did Mannox say to you?” It was Finn who spoke up this time. He stood opposite the kitchen island from Owen, studying him closely.

Owen squared his shoulders straighter to face Finn. “He said that the smoke around me was Noxen. That it was a physical manifestation of the chaos that kills a demon.’”

“Chaos,” Finn whispered. “Your madness, that’s what it is. It’s chaos. That’s why I’ve never been able to feel the emotion or pinpoint it. You’ve had Noxen in you this entire time.”

“Holy shit,” Owen and Cora said at the same time.

Tristan and Ashton looked at one another in bewilderment.

The conversation continued, but my thoughts were drifting, beginning to wander and worry even more about Giordana. I kept checking my phone, but still nothing.

“I’m going to go outside.” Owen reached over and squeezed my thigh before I stood. Wrapping the blanket tighter around me, I walked onto the back porch and sat in the oversized chair covered in dark green pillows.

As I sat and scrolled through my phone, trying to avoid calling G again, I found myself thinking about what Owen had told me. My soul was his, and he didn’t have one. The more I tried to make sense of it, the less sense it made. But somehow, I didn’t question what it meant for us. Being with Owen felt natural. His presence was a missing piece in my life I never knew was missing until him. My life had never been easy, and in just this short time of knowing Owen, I don’t care anymore. Growing up, I didn’t have any friends until I met Giordana. Knowing now that us meeting was a part of her grand plan, have I really, truly had anyone until Owen?

“Let’s get you some more answers, gorgeous.” Owen had stepped out onto the back porch. He stood shirtless with his hands in the pockets of his lounge pants.

Wanting to tease him, I stood, wrapping the blanket around us both. My eyes were trained on his as I said quietly, “Okay, daddy.”

Owen scooped me up under my thighs and sat in the chair I had just occupied, crushing his lips to mine.