by Leia Stone
Gage peered at me for another long moment, and then pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “I got your school schedule, so you didn’t have to suffer my dad’s company any more than necessary.”
That was rather thoughtful. I was instantly suspicious. “Classes already?” I laughed nervously. “Thought I had seven more days.”
He shrugged. “Technically, you have until your eighteenth birthday before the Descension Ceremony, but until then I think my dad wants to get you settled.”
“Descension Ceremony? As in ‘to descend?’” I shivered. That name alone should have tipped every Watcher off to which side they should choose. “Thank God dinner with your dad is tonight, I wouldn’t make it a week here.” I couldn’t imagine being here and having to do that ceremony to save Gran.
Gage looked around the room, reaching up to brush his hair from his face, avoiding eye contact.
“Gage? Dinner?”
“Yeah… about that.” A muscle jumped in his cheek. He was annoyed about something.
I growled.
“Do you need more bacon before I break the bad news?” He indicated the self-serve counter.
“Ha ha. Tell me.” I mean, more bacon wasn’t a bad idea. My stomach grumbled at the thought. Even after all that food I didn’t feel full.
“So my dad said he’d love to have you and me over for dinner… in three days when he gets back from an emergency business trip in London.”
My eyes widened. “Three days!” I whisper-screamed, causing a few students nearby to stare.
Gage grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to a quieter section of the cafeteria. He backed me up against the wall and then leaned forward, his lips touching my ear, and his clean-shaven jaw brushing against my own. I froze, totally convinced he was going to kiss my neck or something. Maybe that’s what he wanted everyone else to think.
Breathe. Think. Focus. Bacon.
“Listen, the plan still holds. You have seven days, and you will have the talisman in three. Just relax and try to fit in.” He dragged his lips across my cheek as he pulled away and I lost my train of thought.
“Your skin is really soft,” I said stupidly.
A half-cocked grin pulled at his face, and he reached out and dragged two fingers across the one-inch strip of bare skin at my rib cage. “So is yours.”
My heart pumped so hard in my chest I was pretty sure he could hear it.
Gran. I was doing this for my gran. “Look, my grandma is in a coma. She’s on death’s door. Every day we wait is a day she suffers.”
The fire behind his eyes died and he nodded. “There’s nothing more I can do. My dad is already on a plane, and there’s no way the two of us can get into that penthouse without him dropping the wards. Besides, I want that voice call evidence destroyed if I’m helping you, so this gives you time to work on that.”
I chewed my lip and nodded. I should be grateful Gage was helping me at all. I told myself it didn’t really matter if it was out of the goodness of his heart or to cover his own tracks, but that didn’t stop me from secretly hoping it was the former.
“Okay. Three days, no biggie.” I cleared my throat, because he was still standing too close.
He tilted his head.
“Come on, babe. First bell is about to ring,” he said.
He slipped his hand into mine and pulled me across the cafeteria. I knew it was no big deal to him—by the sight of the girlie shampoo under his sink it was really no big deal at all—but I’d never been in anything close to a relationship. I’d never gotten that experience working five billion hours to pay the bills with Gran, so even though this was fake, I gripped his hand tightly and decided to enjoy it.
Would-you-like-ketchup-with-that? Tatum Powers, was going to be the popular it girl for three days, and I was going to soak it all in.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
I sat in a desk surrounded by twelve-year-olds for half the morning. Since I didn’t grow up in this world, I guess Arthur thought I needed to catch up, so he’d sent me to sixth grade demon history class. For the first hour I was mortified, then I got interested in the subject. It was fascinating. The teacher was claiming that angels fell from the upper realms, and they were what we call demons—not evil at all, just ugly angels apparently. Holding my tongue was harder than I thought, but I managed it.
“This place is awful,” I whisper-screamed to Drea as I hid inside of the broom closet. I’d called Drea to gripe about it. It was just my lunch break, but I needed to talk to someone sane right now. “They teach the kids everything backward.”
“Well, yeah. How else are they going to brainwash them to guard portals of evil when they grow up?”
Well, that was depressing. This place was a total lie. I wanted to kidnap all these kids on my way out.
“Look, I’ll be back in three days. Just keep a close eye on Gran for me, okay?” I’d already told her about the delay.
She groaned. “You’re crazy.”
“I know,” I agreed.
The closet door yanked open then and I ended the call, coming face to face with Indigo.
“Applying for the janitor position?” She looked at the mop in my hand, which I’d grabbed on reflex as a weapon.
I gave a nervous laugh. “Oh, is that for me?” I reached out to grab the tray full of sandwiches, chips, and three pickles.
She yanked it back. “It’s for both of us. Geez, what are you, pregnant?”
My mouth popped open. “No!”
Grabbing one of the sandwiches, I tore into it like a rabid dog, and Indigo’s brows drew together.
“Whaft?” I murmured through a mouthful of food.
“Nothing.” But I could see she was silently taking notes on me, and I slowed my chewing.
Always hungry, self-healing. It was clear that there were a few things happening to me that didn’t seem to happen to the other Watchers.
It dawned on me then, and I set the sandwich back onto the tray. “Is something wrong with me?”
Her face, once concerned, now filled with compassion. “No. You’re fine. Come on, Shawn is having a huge party at Wings tonight. Come with me?”
I followed her out of the closet, gracefully tripping over an empty bucket and nearly face-planting. “Say what? Isn’t that the eighteen and over club where druggies and dirtbags hang out to get into trouble?”
Indigo pinned me with a glare.
“Oops. I mean, super cool teens who are stand-up citizens?”
She shook her head, chuckling. “Gage knows the bouncer. He’ll get you in. I turned eighteen six months ago.”
My stomach growled, and I grabbed a pickle, snapping it off with my teeth. “So Gage is going? Will Claire be there too?”
Indigo nodded. “Where Gage is, Claire is.”
A stone sank in my gut. I didn’t like this game anymore. I wanted Arthur’s talisman and then I wanted to go home.
“Where did you get these boots?” I asked Indigo. “I want to snag a pair.”
Apparently even being a prospective Shade came with some pretty nice perks. Indigo took me shopping for essentials after school. I almost fainted when she handed me my very own platinum AMEX with no limit. I didn’t expect the money train to last after I stole Arthur’s talisman, but I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity while it lasted. Maybe I could buy some expensive items to sell off later? Sticking it to Arthur in more ways than one was fine by me. Gran suffered for years because of his curse, so if this was his money, I was spending as much of it as I could.
Indigo glanced down at the chunky black biker boots she’d lent me for the night. “They are pretty on-point. You can have them if you want. I have a closet full of boots just like them.”
I was still dressed head-to-toe in Indigo’s clothes. Along with the boots, I wore the coolest cropped leather jacket. I wasn’t as wild about the black spandex lace dress I wore because it showed way more skin then I was normally comfortable with. She’d told me it came to right above
the knee, and maybe it did on her, but with my added height it barely covered my butt and suctioned to my curves like cellophane. I had to resist the urge to tug it down every other step. At least—thanks to our shopping outing—I was wearing underwear.
“Thanks, but I’m not taking your stuff.” I smiled back to show that I was still grateful.
We turned a corner, and I spotted a small grouping of people waiting in line in front of Wings. I assumed we’d fall into place at the end of the line, but Indigo strutted right by everyone and headed for the entrance, which was guarded by a heavily muscled and even more heavily tattooed giant. I slowed, but it wasn’t the bouncer’s size and ink that caused my hesitation. It was the horned figure hovering behind him and whispering in his ear that gave me pause.
Demon.
Indigo was two paces in front of me before she noticed I wasn’t next to her anymore. She glanced back and forth between me and the gorilla of a man guarding the entrance to Wings several times before it dawned on her why I’d stopped. She quickly rejoined me, a look of understanding on her face.
“You’ll get used to it,” she said, indicating the shadow demon hunched over the bouncer. “I promise.”
Tearing my gaze from the red-eyed creature, I blinked at Indigo. “It seriously doesn’t bother you?”
She smiled, a dimple appearing in both cheeks. “Nope, not one bit.”
That made me sad… for her. This wasn’t anything I ever wanted to get used to, ever.
“I get it’s going to take a little time though. You can wait here while I go talk to Jett and make sure we are on the list.”
“Hey, sweetness,” came a slurred voice from behind me. “How about you skip the clubbing and just come home with me? I can show you a real good time.”
I glanced over my shoulder to find a twenty-something dude who reeked of alcohol and bad life choices. I sighed. This was the fourth time I’d been approached since we left Shade Academy. My dress was short, I got it, but that didn’t mean I was going to throw myself at every creeper who said “hello.”
Indigo’s gaze slid to the dude who’d just propositioned me. “Want me to put him down for you?” she offered.
There was a sly look in her eyes, like she was joking, but also hoping I’d say yes. The look matched her off-the shoulder tee that said, “sweet but psycho” a little too well.
I shook my head. “It’s not worth the trouble. I’ll be fine.”
She pursed her lips, but then turned and headed toward the giant bouncer. With her spiked black hair framing her face and her cute punk rock outfit, she looked like a little goth pixie to me, and I was sad that she had already chosen to be Shade.
“Come on, baby. Don’t be so frigid,” the drunk dude garbled behind me.
I rolled my eyes. As a resident of New York City since birth, I was used to the occasional perv and weirdo. During the night shift at Sal’s Diner, we got losers like this all the time. Taking the subway home at two a.m. was always a mixed bag, but this guy was really starting to rub me the wrong way.
A hand landed on my butt suddenly and squeezed. Unbridled rage rushed through me, and all rational thought flew from my mind. I spun so fast the guy didn’t even have time to duck. My elbow smashed right into his nose, and I heard the satisfying crunch of cartilage. His body crumpled to the ground with a thud, and I sneered.
“You broke my nose,” he wailed with his hands cupping his face. I was pleased to see blood dribbling down his chin.
“You don’t grab girls uninvited, ever,” I yelled at him.
He dropped his hands. His nose was bent at an unnatural angle, and the lower half of his face was painted crimson.
“Look at what you’re wearing. You’re asking for it,” he spat, his features contorted in rage.
I. Saw. Red.
I took a quick step toward him, and he flinched. “It doesn’t matter if I strutted down the street naked. That wouldn’t give you permission to lay a hand on me.”
“Preach!” a female said, and I looked up in time to see a group of girls in line let loose with a series of cheers and whistles.
“I guess you didn’t need my help after all. I’m impressed,” Indigo said, suddenly appearing at my side. “Come on, we’re good to go.”
She tugged my arm, and I gave the guy on the ground one more scathing look, tempted to land a kick to his ribs just to make my point. The group of girls who had my back laid into him with boos and verbal smackdowns as he struggled to his feet. There was a trace of fear on his face now that he was outnumbered, and I was satisfied with that.
I gave Jett a wide berth as Indigo shuttled me into the club. I couldn’t see the demon anymore; my demon vision was still in and out, but the guy’s eyes flashed red as he watched me shuffle past him. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little shook. The fact that demons could just attach to a human and affect them was beyond unsettling.
Inside the club, the music was loud, and the lighting was dim, making it hard to hear Indigo, and difficult to tell the difference between real shadows and the smoke-like demons that hovered around some of the clubbers near us.
A rock band was playing on the stage toward the back. It was difficult to decipher the words to the song, but the beat was good, and the crowd was into it. I’d always loved dancing—even though most of my raves were solo and held in the safety of our apartment—but something about this environment was oppressive. I didn’t like it one bit.
The performers were on an elevated platform, set apart from the mash of bodies on the dance floor, so I could clearly see demons feeding from two out of the five band members as they rocked out. The two musicians’ eyes were glazed as they performed, and it sent shivers down my spine.
I wasn’t feeling this vibe, and I wondered how long was an appropriate time to wait before telling Indigo I was headed out. Would fifteen minutes be too soon? Ten? I’d never get used to seeing these creatures just hanging off of people like vampires, sucking their energy or whatever it was they did.
“Wanna get a drink?” Indigo shouted above the noise. She tipped her head toward the bar that ran the length of one side of the room.
I took one look at the glassy-eyed gazes around me and shook my head. This didn’t look like the type of place that was overly concerned with underage drinking, and I wanted every one of my wits about me.
Indigo frowned, clearly wanting to get something for herself.
“Go on,” I urged. “I’m just going to wait over there and watch the band.”
She checked the spot I indicated and nodded. “I won’t be long. I made out with the bartender last year,” she said with a wicked smile and a bounce of her eyebrows. “I’ve been enjoying the libation perks ever since.”
I probably shouldn’t have encouraged her, but I couldn’t help the surprised laugh that burst from my mouth. I was not expecting that.
With a wink, Indigo dashed away and was quickly swallowed by the crowd. I shook my head as I dodged bodies on a quest to find a space that wasn’t as crowded. Several guys tried to lure me in along the way, but I just waved them off and kept moving. Luckily for them, no one groped me, but I still breathed a little easier when I found a spot to stand with a pillar against my back.
Fanning my face, I people watched. I didn’t recognize anyone, but if this was Shawn’s party, there must be a decent amount of Shades mixed in the crowd.
“I didn’t expect you to make it,” Gage’s low, accented voice rumbled next to me, and I startled. It was too loud to have heard him approach, but I was thrown that someone could so easily make it into my space undetected.
Gage was wearing dark wash denim jeans and a black leather jacket. The charcoal gray crew neck shirt that stretched over his chest made his green eyes pop. I hadn’t seen him since that morning at breakfast. Eyeing him now, I wasn’t going to deny that he looked good, but I made sure not to let my inner thoughts show on my face. Gage’s ego was already properly inflated.
“Why not?” I asked.
&n
bsp; He shrugged. “This doesn’t seem like your scene.”
It wasn’t, but he didn’t need to know that.
“I guess you don’t know all that much about me,” I said and shrugged back.
“Hmm,” was his noncommittal response. His gaze tracked from my head down to my boot-tipped toes and back up again. “Nice outfit,” he said, but the heat in his eyes said he thought it was more than “nice.” A warm feeling settled low in my gut, and I fought the urge to preen.
I cleared my throat. “Besides, we’re supposed to be selling this thing between us. It would probably look weird if I didn’t show up since you’re here.”
At least, that was the reason I’d repeated to myself for coming tonight, but it was only part of the truth. When Indigo said Gage and Claire would be there, my mind had been made up.
“Right, this thing between us,” Gage said, and moved in a little closer. Lifting a finger, he brushed a wisp of hair off my cheek that had escaped from my braid and tucked it back behind my ear. His fingers traced down the side of my throat and across my collarbone before he pulled his hand away. The skin he brushed tingled, and a warm sensation traveled through my body. I couldn’t say I minded it. In fact I wanted more.
“I’m very good at being convincing,” he said, the double meaning of his phrase not lost on me.
I swallowed, wetting my suddenly dry throat, when Gage’s gaze dipped to my lips and held. My own eyes strayed to his mouth as well.
How far were we willing to take this fake dating? How far was I willing to go? Would a kiss be too far?
My body swayed toward Gage, but I jerked back when a bottle smashed at my feet, the amber liquid drenching the top of my borrowed boots.
“I said stop looking at my girl!” a male voice bellowed.
Within a half-second a full-blown fight broke out less than ten feet in front of us. Two guys threw punches and insults, knocking each other into the surrounding partiers, which incited the drunk and demon-influenced to join the fray.
Gage stepped protectively in front of me, and I peered around his shoulder to see that thankfully the fight was veering away from us, but the conflict drew shadow demons like sharks to a kill. I squinted as I noticed shadowy black eyes, mangled inky hands. Small demons looked to be egging people on, while the larger ones fed off the aggression, attached to the humans’ backs like leeches. It wasn’t long before the group became a demon-influenced, red-eyed, smoke-filled mess.