“You need to see the nurse,” I tell her.
“Get out, you stupid bitch!” she yells, twisting her face into a scowl.
I’m shaking as I try to fight her command, but all the effort does is make me sick. I stop offering resistance and the nausea passes. Fine. She doesn’t want my help. She can suck it. If she dies, it’s one less Idol to worry about.
I walk out of the bathroom, seeing nothing. I’m so done with all the assholes around me.
“Daisy? Are you okay?” Morpheus, of all people, is right outside the restroom.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine. You’re as pale as a ghost.”
“I said I’m fine.” I begin to walk toward the classroom.
Morpheus grabs my arm and turns me around. “And I know you’re lying. Are you in trouble? Was it Drusilla?” He narrows his gaze.
His question brings back the nausea from before. Maybe it’s because he guessed right. I shake my head, afraid that if I speak, I’ll end up barfing all over his uniform. A group of students rounds the corner, and naturally their gazes immediately turn to us. With the way I’m super close to Morpheus, I know what it must look like. Great. By second period, I’ll be the school slut. I kissed Bryce, orgasmed in class thanks to Phoenix, and now it looks like I’m about to make out with Morpheus.
He ignores the other students and continues. “It was her, wasn’t it?”
“No,” I croak.
In that precise moment, Drusilla steps out of the restroom. Morpheus lets go of my arm and strides in her direction without a second thought. Shit. He grabs her arm in a vise grip, shaking her as he asks, “What did you do to Daisy?”
“Let me go, asshole.” Drusilla tries to break free, but she’s clearly still not recovered.
“Shit, look at his hand.” Someone to my right points at Morpheus’s shadows, which have broken away from his bracelet and are now writhing all over his hand.
With a chilling smile, he shoves Drusilla away from him. She staggers back until she hits the wall. Morpheus widens his stance and curls his hands into fists by his side.
“Morpheus! Don’t do anything,” I plead. There are too many witnesses, and he’ll get in trouble if he attacks Drusilla, especially since it was unprovoked.
“Son of a bitch,” a familiar masculine voice says from behind me. Bryce.
I don’t glance in his direction; instead, I step toward Morpheus with every intention to stop what he’s doing. But Bryce grabs my arm and stops me.
“Don’t. It’s not safe.”
“Let me go and stop him.” I pull my arm free from Bryce’s hold.
But Bryce doesn’t move fast enough. A black miasma forms around Morpheus, and even though the power isn’t aimed at me, I gasp nonetheless.
“Stay away from Daisy. No matter how powerful you think you are now, you can’t escape from your own nightmares.”
Drusilla collapses on the floor in a heap. She leans on her elbows and lifts her tear-streaked face to him. “You will pay for this, Fringe spawn.”
Morpheus’s lips twist into a cruel smile while his eyes flash brightly as if his irises are made out of lightning. “Oh, but I’m not a Fringe’s spawn.”
He throws his arm forward and the shadows circling there detach, forming a whip. It hits the wall above Drusilla’s head, missing her by less than an inch. She stares wide-eyed at the large crack that could have been in her skull.
“Remove yourself from my sight, or I won’t miss your head next time,” Morpheus grits out.
Drusilla gets back to her feet, seething with rage. She eyes the crowd that’s formed around the perimeter, and then she glances at me and Bryce for a fleeting moment before bolting down the corridor.
I look back to Morpheus. His breathing is coming out in bursts, and the shadows have spread so much that I can see them peeking from underneath the collar and seams of his shirt. Pretty soon he’ll be completely consumed by them. That can’t be good.
On a crazy impulse, I run toward him and touch the center of his chest.
“No!” Bryce yells.
The shadows writhe and coil around my palm, but they don’t attack me like they did before. Instead, they slither away, recoiling toward Morpheus’s bracelets. His eyes return to normal as he stares at me. I can read the surprise in them just before he drops to the floor, out cold.
38
Daisy
“You’re fucking crazy, you know?” Bryce yells at me as he carries an unconscious Morpheus to Nurse Ellen’s office.
“At least I tried to help him. You just stood there and did nothing.”
He throws open the door to the infirmary using telekinesis, and it bangs loudly against the wall.
Ellen jumps from her chair with a look of fright. “What the he—oh shit. What happened to Morpheus?”
“We don’t know,” Bryce tells her. “He used his powers, and the shadows almost took him over completely.”
“Has that ever happened before?” Ellen opens the curtain to the examination room and motions for Bryce to lay Morpheus on the bed.
“Not this bad.”
She pulls the sleeves of Morpheus’s jacket up and finds nothing but his bracelets. No sign of the shadows. “They’re gone.”
“I touched him while the shadows were all over him,” I say. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Yes!” Bryce whirls on me. “You could have died.”
“But I didn’t! And why do you care anyway?” I curl my hands into fists and step in his direction.
“Okay, I need you both to get out of my office now. I can’t do my job while you two are at each other’s throats. Take your lovers’ quarrel someplace else.”
She pushes us out of the room and shuts the curtain. But I’m still too fired up to keep quiet, so I walk into the hallway. Classes are already in session, so there’s no one around. Bryce follows me out, and it’s clear he still has a lot on his mind.
“Why did Morpheus lash out at Drusilla like that? What did she do to you?” he questions.
I open my mouth to reply, but my tongue won’t move. Nausea rolls over me again, increasing in strength the longer I fight it.
“She compelled you not to say anything, didn’t she?” he continues when I don’t answer.
I nod.
“I’m going to kill her.” Bryce hits the wall, breaking through bricks and plaster.
Destruction. It’s all they know.
“Don’t,” I say. “It’s bad enough that Morpheus attacked her in front of witnesses. She didn’t try to hurt me, so don’t worry your pretty head.” I can’t help the sarcasm in my tone.
Bryce wanted to kill me last night. I could read the desire in his stormy eyes. Like father, like son. The thought enters my head unbidden.
He turns to me then, so furious that I step back until I have nowhere else to go. He invades my space, pressing his palms against the wall on each side of my head.
“I will never stop worrying about you, and that’s the fucking problem. You’re all I think about. You’re under my skin. Worse, you’re in my heart.” He hits his chest with a closed fist.
His confession is like a dagger through me. I’m so angry and frustrated that fat tears run down my cheeks. His family is the reason mine is broken forever.
“What am I supposed to do with that? I believed you were different, but you betrayed me when I needed you the most.”
“I know, and yet I can’t say I’m sorry. I don’t trust you. I still believe you’re going to stab me in the back. But I can’t stop wanting to be near you, to protect you.”
He cups my face and wipes the tears with this thumb. I suck in a breath, but I don’t move away. I don’t break eye contact with him. When Bryce kisses me, I kiss him back. It seems we’re both gluttons for punishment. We’re two people standing on opposite sides, destined to hate one another but unable to stay away.
A throat clearing behind Bryce cuts our mistake short. That’s the only thing I can call succu
mbing to my stupid feelings for him. Nurse Ellen is standing there, sporting a knowing smirk. My face becomes hot in an instant.
“He’s up,” she tells us. “I thought you would want to talk to him.”
Bryce pushes his long bangs back and steps away from me. “Right.”
He glances at me with an undecipherable glint in his eyes, and I feel the walls around my heart crack. Quickly, I break the connection and follow Ellen back into the infirmary. Inside the cubicle, Morpheus is already sitting up.
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
“A bit tired,” he admits. “How did you do that? The shadows should have hurt you.”
“I don’t know.”
“Touching my shadows like that could have done irreparable damage to you.”
“I’m fine.”
“Maybe when I healed Daisy, I gave her immunity to certain things,” Bryce suggests.
“Do you really think so?” I ask, then wonder if his healing also made me almost die in the woods.
“It’s a guess.” He shrugs.
“Fuck! We’re going to miss the math quiz if we don’t hurry up.” Morpheus jumps from the bed and sways on the spot. Bryce and I reach for him at the same time, going for his arms.
“Whoa. You’re not going anywhere, mister,” Ellen says from the desk in the corner. “You’re going back to bed.”
“I can’t miss that quiz,” he insists.
“It’s too late, Morpheus. The class already started.”
“I can speak with your teacher and explain what happened. I’m sure he’ll let you take the quiz at another date,” Ellen says.
“That means we can study more.” I offer him a smile. Then, sensing Bryce’s stare, I turn to meet his gaze. “What? Do you have a problem with that too?”
“Nope. Not at all. You can let go of him now. I’ll walk him back to the apartment.”
Catching the cold tone in his voice, I release Morpheus and step back, but only because I don’t want to involve him in my fight with his roommate.
“Do you think I can get a second chance from Mr. Atkins too?” I ask the nurse.
“I’ll see what I can do.” She winks at me.
I wait until Bryce and Morpheus are gone to have a private word with her.
“Have you heard of a case of an Idol overdosing on Silver-voltage?”
She raises an eyebrow and leans back in her chair. “No. Why do you ask?”
The answer is on the tip of my tongue, but because of Drusilla’s compulsion, I can’t say anything. “No reason. I was just curious.”
Ellen watches me closely. I don’t think she bought my vague answer.
I hitch a thumb behind me. “I’m going to head to the library and kill time until my next lecture. Thanks for helping Morpheus.”
“No need to thank me. It’s my job. Take care, Daisy.”
My heart is heavy and my steps drag. I have no intention of going to the library. Since I don’t want to return the book yet, I’ll be avoiding the place for as long as I can. Instead, I head for my next class, biology, which I hate. And it’s going to be even more dreadful without Toby around.
I park my butt on the stairs opposite the classroom and pull my book out. I might as well do some reading ahead. Heaven knows I haven’t had much time to study these past few days. But I can’t concentrate on the subject to save my life. I keep reading the same line over and over again because my brain is too busy replaying the events from the weekend and today. It’s not until I sense a presence hovering in front of me that I return to the here and now.
“Toby? What are you doing here?” I jump to my feet and give him a once-over. He’s back in his Gifted Academy uniform.
“Whatever you told my parents worked. Mom finally agreed to let me come back.” He’s grinning from ear to ear.
I hug him, so glad that at least something good happened for once. “That’s wonderful news, Toby.”
I ease off the embrace with a big smile on my face.
“What are you doing waiting here? Aren’t you supposed to be in math class?” he asks.
Not wanting to kill Toby’s good mood with bad news, I wave my hand dismissively. “It’s a long story. But how come you aren’t in class yourself?”
“I skipped first period because it was a quiz, and Principal Fallon arranged for me to take it at a later date since I missed a week of classes.”
“I’m glad she was able to accommodate you.” My reply is bitter, and Toby notices.
With a frown, he asks, “What’s up? Did she do something to you?”
“It’s more like what she didn’t do for us. But I don’t want to talk about that now.”
Toby watches me without a reply for a couple of beats, then continues. “Rosie told me you spent the day with Felicity yesterday.”
“Yeah, I did. She was in good spirits.”
“That’s good to know.” Toby looks left and right before he moves closer in a cagey manner. “About the little discovery you made last Saturday, I have news on that front.”
Apprehension licks the base of my spine. I tense as I wait for Toby to elaborate, but just then, the bell rings, announcing the end of first period. The hallway fills with students, making it impossible to have any secretive conversation. Damn it. Waiting for it will be a bitch. There goes the slim chance I get to pay any attention in class.
39
Daisy
Only after the school day is over do I get to have a moment alone with Toby. We’re walking back to the senior dorm building when I deem it safe enough to bring the subject up.
“So, what is it that you wanted to tell me about you know who?” I ask, conscious that we could be overheard, even though there’s no one nearby.
“I questioned my father, but he knows nothing about Mr. Silverstone’s other business.”
“You didn’t ask point-blank, did you?”
“Of course not, Daisy. I don’t want to worry my dad. If he suspects his employer could potentially be, you know, that, then he’ll most likely resign. I can’t do that to him. He loves his job.”
“What’s the news you wanted to tell me, then?”
“I got an internship with Mr. Silverstone. I’ll be working at his gallery downtown.”
“Toby, that could be dangerous. Besides, it’ll eat time away from your studies.”
“I just have to work on Saturdays. But I couldn’t pass up the chance. You want to know if he’s indeed who we think he is, right?”
I frown. “You don’t think he suspects you’ll be snooping around? I wasn’t very subtle at his house. He knows I recognized him.”
He also asked me to say hello to Bryce, and Rufio told me his brother was kidnapped by Knights. Shit! I can’t believe I didn’t make the connection until now. I’m almost certain Mr. Silverstone is behind Bryce’s kidnapping. What am I going to do with that information now? I can’t tell Bryce, at least not until I know what Mr. Silverstone’s game plan is.
“I’ll be careful. Don’t worry. Besides, I really don’t think Mr. Silverstone is the bad guy here. He saved you and Rosie. He’s a hero in my book.”
“There are no heroes when Idols are involved, Toby. Remember that.”
We arrive at my building, and Toby seems inclined to accompany me all the way to my room. But Phoenix is there, and it’ll be strange when I don’t invite Toby in.
I fake a yawn. “Boy, I’m beat. I think I’m going to take a nap before I tackle homework.”
“Oh, I was hoping we could talk somewhere, you know, catch up.”
“Can we get a rain check? Last weekend wrecked me.” I smile, hoping Toby doesn’t insist.
“Sure. I suppose I should bury my face in books too. It’s surreal how much I missed in one week.”
“All right, then. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”
Toby turns around and heads for his building. I wait a couple of seconds before I head in. The entry hall is buzzing with students milling about. Some glance in my direction, but mercif
ully, none of those stares linger. In any case, I take the stairs.
I only open the door a sliver, just enough for me to slip in. Can’t risk the security cameras catching Phoenix inside by chance. He’s still in bed, curled up in a fetal position. Moving closer, I find him deep asleep.
A myriad of emotions hits me all at once. I’m gutted that Phoenix has to endure such abuse from his own father. Living on the streets when I was younger, I learned to spot the signs. This wasn’t the first time Phoenix suffered under his father’s steely fists. And who knows what other despicable things that bastard has been doing to him.
I feel guilty that I was somehow the cause for his harsh punishment. But mostly I’m enraged that the monster has been doing this to Phoenix for a long time and no one has intervened. Phoenix has gone out of his way to keep his friends from knowing, but what about his mother? She must know.
Phoenix turns, lying on his back now. His face is scrunched up, and he begins to moan, then beg for mercy. Fuck! Is he dreaming about his torment?
I sit next to him to shake his shoulder. “Phoenix. Wake up.”
“No, no, Dad. Leave me alone!” He trashes, shaking his head from side to side.
I grab both his shoulders and shake him harder. “Phoenix!”
His eyes open at the same time as he sends me flying backward. I let out a yelp, but I never connect with the wall. I stop midair and remain floating for a couple of beats. Phoenix sits up with wide eyes and erratic breathing.
“Daisy….”
In an instant, I drop to the floor with a loud thud. “Ouch.”
Phoenix jumps out of bed and runs to me. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“It’s okay. At least you stopped me before I crashed.”
Phoenix stares at me with eyes that still show surprise. He blinks a couple of times before he replies, “I don’t think I stopped.”
“You must have. How else do you explain me floating on air like that? I didn’t suddenly become a fairy who can fly.”
Ruthless Idols: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 2) Page 21