Reckless Times: A Paranormal Romance (Paragon Society Book 1)

by Michelle Hercules

  I see it then. It’s Daisy.

  They begin to retreat, getting out of the path of destruction. Too slow. Why aren’t they moving faster?

  When I land nearby, Daisy is about to collapse. But suddenly, Bryce is there, holding her in his arms. How did he get here so fast?

  I search for Andy, who is standing a little to the side. Her chains are unfurled and visible, but they’re a dull gray, not the bright gold. They’re spent. She’s covered in soot and sweat, a sign she was too close to danger.

  “Andy,” I call out.

  Slowly, she turns in my direction. I’d pull her into my arms if I thought that’s what she wanted. I almost lost her, and now I can’t get closer. Something is holding me back. I don’t know if it’s me or her.

  41

  Andromeda

  Stephan is here, near enough that I can smell his cologne despite all the other scents in the air. Did he come because he knew I was here, or is he simply fulfilling his Knight duties?

  Neither of us attempts to breach the distance that feels like a chasm. I want him to pull me into his arms and tell me everything will be okay, but I keep the secret close to my chest.

  Nothing will ever be all right between us.

  I sense the arrival of other familiar signatures. Daisy’s boyfriends are here, all fighting for her attention. When Rufio decides to show how glad he is that she’s alive, something terribly wrong happens.

  The power in his core flares up, and then slowly it begins to move toward Daisy’s center. It’s like she’s absorbing his essence. That’s why they call her the Unmaker. She’s stealing his gifts, and no one is doing anything to stop it.

  “For fuck’s sake.” I use the little bit of energy I have left and yank Rufio away from her.

  Bryce yells at his brother, but their argument is cut short when the crowd surrounding us becomes agitated and I find myself being shoved left and right. I’m surrounded by panicked people, and I can’t even use my chains to protect myself. I’m in complete darkness, getting crushed by the mob.

  Then Stephan is there, pulling me from the chaos. I’m in his arms and we’re flying away. I clutch his shirt, pressing my face against his chest. I can hear the hard thumping of his heartbeat, and it’s as familiar as my own.

  I love this man so damn much it hurts.

  When we land, I don’t know who seeks out the other first, but our lips collide in a manic rush. He’s branding me with his tongue, with his hands, and I’m doing the same to him. I feel my strength returning with each passing moment I remain locked in his embrace.

  “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, Andy,” he murmurs between kisses.

  “Did you come for me?”

  He pulls back, leaving me bereft. “I’d have come to help, no question about that, but when I knew you were here, I almost lost my mind. I never flew so fast in my entire life.”

  My heart melts hearing his words, and I’m on the verge of confessing to him how much he means to me. But the world hasn’t stopped collapsing because of us. Hell is breaking loose all around. People are scared and hurt. They need us.

  “We have to help them,” I say.

  “Let’s go.” He laces our fingers together and steers me toward the screams.

  But our connection is lost when we find the source of the problem, or better put, the culprits behind all the destruction. I count at least twenty mid-level Fringes going berserk against folks who are trying to flee. They slash and hack with daggers and knives, and right behind them is Nathaniel.

  I drop Stephan’s hand in an instant. Damn everything to hell. Did he see us together?

  “Andy, watch out!” Stephan warns, drawing my attention to the incoming attack.

  My chains block the Fringe who slashed at me, but before I can retaliate, a vortex engulfs the man and he disappears from my vision. Fury concentrates in the pit of my stomach, surging through my body in a rush. My chains are fully awake now, ready to punish these monsters.

  Stephan and I work together in perfect sync. I can’t see the battlefield very well—I’m running at half capacity, and the shadows are darker than normal—but whenever I miss a target, Stephan is there, ready to deliver his own hammer of the gods. We’re perfect together.

  I just delivered a killing blow to the enemy when my chains pick up trouble right where Soren and the others are. They’re outnumbered.

  “Stephan, you need to help the others.”

  “I won’t leave you here alone.”

  Expanding the reach of my chains, I count only two aggressive signatures. Both are low-level Fringes. Easy peasy. “Go! I got this.”

  “Be careful. They’re using lightning glass weapons.”

  “Don’t worry about me.” I smash my spiked ball chain against the head of a Fringe who was coming for me, making my point.

  Stephan flies away, and in the next second, I kill the second jackass, gutting him with my spear.

  With all the enemies gone, I lean forward, resting my hands on my knees as I try to catch my breath. My ears are ringing, making it harder to separate the sounds, but I know the moment he steps closer to me, even though I can’t see him.

  “Impressive work, Andy.”

  “Nathaniel. You’re behind this?”

  He scuffs. “Me? Of course not. My work is more refined than that. But I couldn’t resist coming here to witness all the chaos. It’s exciting, isn’t it?”

  “You’re a psychopath.”

  He laughs. “Aren’t you a sweetheart? And so resourceful. You not only found the Unmaker, but you also became BFFs with her. Nice touch helping her save the little people.”

  I curl my hands into fists, a moment away from revealing I wasn’t pretending. I want Nathaniel to keep believing I’m loyal to him.

  “I’m glad you’re happy.”

  “Well, of course, there’s the small chance you only did all that in the hopes that Daisy will unmake me. Let me save you time and tell you right now she can’t unmake me. Ever.”

  He sounds so sure that I almost fall for it. But he’s bluffing. He has to be. There’s no way he’s untouchable. Daisy is stronger than he is.

  “You’d better go before your boyfriend comes back looking for you. How would he feel if he caught you being chummy with another man?”

  I do exactly as he says, distancing myself from his grating laughter. I have to elbow my way through the mass of bodies going in the opposite direction. They push into me, frantic as they try to flee.

  This doesn’t make any sense. Why are they still around? It’s almost like someone is keeping them concentrated to one spot.

  Suddenly, they stop pushing, and I immediately sense the difference in their moods. They’re much calmer now.

  There’s a faint glow to my right. I follow that light until I recognize Phoenix’s signature. He’s the one calming the crowd.

  “Go, Andromeda. I have things under control here.”

  I continue on my trek until I find the group. Stephan turns to me. “All good?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Let’s find Phoenix and get out of here,” Bryce says.

  “He’s helping calm down the crowd,” I reply.

  “We should regrou—” Morpheus starts, then stops midsentence with a wince.

  “What is it?” Bryce places a hand on his shoulder.

  Morpheus presses the heel of his hand against his forehead and lets out a grunt in response.

  “He’s not coming back, is he?” Bryce asks, totally losing me.

  “Who’s not coming back?” Soren voices the question in my head.

  My chains rattle of their own accord, filled with energy when a second ago they felt depleted. What the hell is going on now? Warmth unfurls from deep in my belly, spreading down my legs and arms. I must be glowing like a supernova. Then comes the certainty that doom is coming.

  “Something terrible has or is about to happen,” I say.

  “It’s Daisy and… Rufio. Your father has them,” Morpheus grits ou
t.

  “Where?” Bryce asks frantically.

  “I don’t know.”

  “How are we doing here?” Phoenix asks as he joins us. “Oh shit. What happened?”

  “My father has Daisy and Rufio,” Bryce replies.

  “He’s going to kill her,” Phoenix says with certainty.

  “Andromeda, can you find Daisy?” Bryce asks.

  “I can try.” I drop my chin, focusing on Daisy’s aura like I did before when I saved her from the void. My chains form a tower around me, rattling as they move in a circle.

  I search far and wide, but it’s like Daisy has vanished from the face of the Earth. Or maybe my chains aren’t as powerful as they used to be. A minute passes by before my power begins to wane. I failed.

  “I’m sorry. She’s either too far or blocked from my reach.”

  Phoenix lets out an enraged scream, sending a big object flying into the distance.

  “You have to try again,” Bryce begs me.

  “I can keep trying, but my powers can only do so much.”

  “What if you borrowed from us?” Morpheus suggests.

  “I’ve never done that before, but it could work.”

  “How in the world are we going to lend her our powers?” Soren pipes up.

  “We form a power circle,” Bryce replies.

  “You’ve done this before?” Stephan steps closer to me.

  “Once.”

  “Is it safe to do this here?” Soren asks.

  “I don’t sense any threats from Neo Gods or Fringes now. We don’t have time to waste. If we’re doing this, it has to be now,” I say.

  “Okay, what do we do?” Stephan asks.

  “Form a circle around her and then project all your power outward,” Bryce explains.

  They all take their places, and then I block the outside world again, putting every ounce of energy and focus into finding Daisy. At first, I don’t feel anything different, but then, I’m blasted all at once with an enormous amount of energy. The force pushes me out of my own body, and then I can see the scene clearly.

  Bryce is standing between Morpheus and Phoenix. Stephan and Soren are opposite him, completing the circle. My chains shoot out to the sky, creating a tunnel of light. I soar after them, letting them guide me to Daisy. I’ve never felt more alive and in tune with the electric waves that make up the world. It’s a network, connecting us all: Idols, Fringes, and Norms alike. Each individual is a small pin in an otherworldly grid, pulsing a different frequency.

  But for now, I just want to find Daisy. Her image forms in my head, and a moment later, I see her.

  “I found her,” I announce, then zap back into my body

  “I know where she is,” Bryce replies.

  I want to ask how the hell he knows, but he talks over me. Is it possible that he was seeing everything through my eyes?

  “Grab any lightning weapon you can find and let’s go.”

  42

  Andromeda

  Daisy is being held at the top of an office building downtown, and now that we’re here, I can also sense Rosie, her boyfriend Toby, and… no, that can’t be right. It’s Rufio. But he feels different, powerless. He feels like Norms do.

  I gasp out loud.

  “Andy, what is it?” Stephan asks.

  “Nothing.” I don’t have the heart to tell them that Daisy unmade Rufio. I know she wouldn’t do it of her own free will. She was forced to. “We need to get up there as fast as we can.”

  “I can fly and take one of you with me,” Stephan says.

  “No, we all have to go together,” Bryce replies. “Our chances of success rely on surprise and numbers.”

  “I have an idea. Stephan will fly me, and you guys just hang on to my chains,” I suggest.

  “Actually, I’m good. I can run up the building,” Soren declares.

  “Wait, are you saying you can run vertically?” Phoenix sounds shocked.

  “I’m fast enough that gravity doesn’t affect me.”

  “Bryce is fast too and he can’t do that,” he retorts.

  “I’m supersonic fast,” Soren replies with a hint of arrogance. Idiot.

  “Okay. Let’s do this.” Stephan moves closer, pulling me to his side. “It’s okay, Andy. I got you,” he says, mistaking my sudden tension for fear.

  “Stay sharp. My father is known for nasty tricks,” Bryce warns.

  I feel terrible. He’s about to be hit by one hell of a surprise.

  Stephan takes off with me in his arms. It’s an exhilarating feeling—not the flying but being so close to him. We’re about to face a dangerous situation, but I soak up these few seconds of closeness, knowing they’re probably my last.

  When we’re high enough, I toss Bryce, Phoenix, and Morpheus through the window, shattering glass. That’s what I call an entrance. Soren blurs past us and joins the fray. Stephan and I follow next, and then it’s show time.

  Thanks to the circle of power the guys formed to help me find Daisy, I’m back at my A game. My chains are on fire, crushing and spearing any son of a bitch who comes within range. I know the others are kicking ass too, but I lose track of them individually in the mayhem.

  The fight ends faster than I anticipated, and I can’t help the disappointment. What am I going to do now with all this reckless drive inside of me? But I think I’m the only one who could keep going for hours. Stephan, Soren, and the rest are definitely spent.

  Then Nathaniel comes calling through the invisible scar. I must have lost my phone somewhere.

  What does he want? I just saw him.

  I rein in the power of my chains, turning them a dull gray. I don’t want anyone to know I have enough juice to last until tomorrow. I know my evening isn’t over yet, but I want everyone to believe it is.

  Nathaniel will have to wait. First, I need to check on Daisy.

  “I’m sorry we couldn’t get here sooner,” I tell her.

  “At least you got here.” She hugs me, making me tense. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  I pull back and say, “This is where we part ways, girlie.”

  “You’re going?” Stephan walks over.

  “Oh yeah. My work here is done, and it’s a school night.” I smirk at him, and then I wink at Daisy.

  “Maybe you should stay. My fa—”

  “Yeah, yeah. I have no desire to meet Mr. Pain In My Ass Sr. See ya!” I walk away, heading for the exit, then stop and say over my shoulder, “Call me when you get back home, Daisy.”

  “I will,” she replies.

  My fake smile vanishes as soon as I’m out of sight. I have to get out of here before Nathaniel becomes impatient.

  I run all the way back to Paragon Academy, and by the time I enter my apartment, my hand is already on fire.

  Nathaniel’s creepy ringtone fills the silence, scaring the crap out of me. I didn’t lose my phone after all. I simply forgot it here.

  “What?”

  The pain subsides in an instant.

  “I thought you weren’t going to ignore my calls anymore, Andy.”

  “I didn’t ignore them. I forgot my phone at home. I just got back.”

  “Fine. Don’t do that again. You have a job to do.”

  My heart sinks, but I knew this was coming. “Now? I just came home from fighting in Armageddon.”

  “There’s no time like the present. We need to secure the Unmaker tonight. Some of my coworkers almost snatched her from right under our noses.”

  He’s talking about Bryce and Rufio’s father. Does that mean they aren’t working together?

  “I thought you all wanted the same thing.”

  “Oh, Andy. Just because we hate the same despicable beings doesn’t mean we want the same thing. You need to bring Daisy to me. Tonight.”

  The call goes silent. Fuck. He’s not kidding. I thought I’d have more time. I’m not ready to come out as the biggest, vilest villain of all time.

  Feeling sick to my stomach, I dictate
a short message and command, “Send.”

  The reply comes back five minutes later.

  That’s it. Time to face the music.

  STEPHAN

  I’m pacing in my father’s home office, pulling my hair back. “I can’t believe you did this, Dad. You joined forces with Jodie Fallon? How can you trust her?”

  That was like a kick in the nuts. When Dad arrived at the scene of the fight, he brought Bryce and Rufio’s mother with him to announce they would be working together from now on.

  “Son, I didn’t have a choice. Things are not looking good on our side of the war. Plus, the trust among the members here in Hawk City is shaken. That mole weakened us. Albert and Korvak are thinking about walking out.”

  “Let them. We don’t need those cowards,” Soren retorts angrily.

  “We do need them. We need a dozen more of them. That’s why I agreed to Jodie’s insane plan.”

  I scoff. “She wants to use her own son to build an army of Idols. That’s rich. Besides, you heard Daisy. It could be dangerous to Bryce.”

  “I know, and I’m not happy about that part, or any of it, to be truthful. This whole situation has left a bad taste in my mouth.”

  “Then don’t do it, Dad,” I plead. “We’ll find another way.”

  His phone pings, drawing his attention to it. He takes a deep breath, his shoulders sagging forward. I’ve never seen him look so defeated since he joined the Knights.

  “Well, I do have another ace up my sleeve.” He looks pointedly at me. “I have a spy among the Neo Gods.”

  “What?” Soren and I say at the same time.

  “About a month ago, one of them came looking for me, wanting to make a deal. They wanted out, and in exchange for my help, they’d give me information about the Neo Gods.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? And you agreed?” I shout, unable to hide my anger. How could he work with one of the monsters who destroyed our family?

  “Son, it wasn’t an easy decision. Believe me. I wanted to lock that person away on the spot, but when the rage receded, I could see reason. Things are not what they seem. Not all Neo Gods join because they believe in the propaganda. Some are duped, tricked into it. And once they’re in, there’s no way out.”