Sacrifice of Mercy

by Shannon Dermott

  “Is that your subtle way of asking me to cook you something?” I teased.

  “No, I was going to order Chinese or pizza.”

  He looked the picture of innocence. I sat there and studied him for a second reading the sincerity there. It had been so long since our conversations weren’t adversarial. I wanted to appreciate the moment.

  “What?” He sported a smirk and half-confused expression that only worked on him.

  I shook my head and stood. “Nothing. If you want Chinese food, order it. Otherwise, I don’t mind cooking. I haven’t done it in a while.”

  Maybe it would calm my nerves before I spoke to Mom.

  “I’ll order.”

  That took me by surprise. I played it off with joking words. “So the truth comes out. You don’t like my cooking.”

  Flynn took my arm before I could sit on my bed again. “I love your cooking.”

  His eyes burned into mine and the world tilted. The very air crackled, and I could feel the subtle shift as we drifted ever so closer together.

  “I—” he began.

  The crackled turned into a loud crash. We spun towards my window where the noise came from. In front of my window seat a bloody and broken, Luke, sprawled on the ground. He pushed himself to a half sitting and half lying down position. I rushed over with Flynn on my heels.

  “What happened?” I said while glancing over him. I couldn’t quite find any one place where blood didn’t smear over his body.

  “I’m fine,” he said breathlessly. “You should see the other guy.”

  He feigned a smile, but he wasn’t being honest. On his left side, a gash pumped out blood with each of his breaths. I placed a gentle pressure on the wound, numb with fear.

  “I’m fine. But Mercy, you need to get out of here. He’s coming,” he rasped.

  “Who’s coming?” I turned to Flynn. “Get a towel from the bathroom.”

  Luke should be able to heal himself. I’d never seen him this hurt outside of the time he was killed. But, he couldn’t go to the hospital. He was supposed to be dead.

  Flynn scrambled to my attached bathroom to get what I requested. Luke grabbed my wrist. “Mercy, you have to go. He can’t be reasoned with. I’m afraid he’s lost.”

  Him… I’d been right. He would know where to look for me. It had been dumb to come home.

  “Sebastian did this?” As if there was any doubt.

  He nodded. “It won’t be long.”

  Flynn raced back in the room with the towel. He must have heard because he wearily joked, “You let Sebastian get the best of you.”

  “He isn’t alone.”

  Flynn and I glanced at each other.

  “Mercy, take my sword.” On his side, Luke held it out to me with his left hand.

  Instinctively, I took it, only to drop it a second later and stare at the third degree burn on my hand.

  Luke closed his eyes. “I hoped…”

  “It’s an angel sword, and I’m a demon," I said finishing for him.

  He shook his head. “You’re not a demon. You also have heaven inside you. I assumed…”

  He trailed off again with a grimace. Flynn smarter than he looked, and a quick study took my hand and kissed it creating a minor light show as he healed me. If my head weren’t somewhere else, I might have commented on how cool it was to see it in action in the daylight.

  As Luke looked on in wonder, my head went elsewhere for a split second. I let myself feel for the demon inside me. There, just beneath the surface of my skin, I felt her essence. She was close to the fore, which made sense. Whenever I was in danger, it was my demon side that helped me survive. I closed my eyes and breathed for a second. I pushed my demon back and felt it recede inside me. Risking another chance, I reached down and picked up the sword again. It stung a little, but more like an irritating bug bite than a first-degree burn.

  “How did you do that?” Flynn asked.

  Luke smiled. “I was right.”

  I nodded. “I think—,”

  I was cut off by the sound of a howl.

  “Flynn, hold the towel to his wound,” I ordered.

  I stood with the sword in my hands. It was heavy, and I wasn’t exactly proficient in the art of swordplay. Although, I was probably much better than the first time I tried. Practice in Fairy had helped too. Only Luke’s sword wasn’t made for me. Its weight would make me clumsy. Still, I headed to my door.

  “Where are you going Mercy?” Flynn called out.

  “Give me a minute,” I said quietly. “I’m just going to peek out the door.”

  I was lying, but I needed to buy myself time. In the background, I heard their banter.

  “Why aren’t you healing?”

  “I’m trying dumbass.”

  “Don’t think I’m kissing it and making it better.”

  A smile planted itself on my face. It was good to hear them like that again. The second howl sobered my glee. It was high time I saved not only myself but the boys too. Whatever was in the hall was there for me. I poked my head out of the door slowly and discovered my worst nightmare. A hellhound filled the hall near Mom and David’s door. Its red eyes and snorts of steam stood like a bull waiting for someone to say “Olé,” which oddly made me think of Flynn and Huck. Not the time Mercy, I told myself.

  Reaching behind me, I grabbed the door knob and acted as though I was about to close us in the room. At the last second, I stepped out and closed the door behind me. That left me in the hall staring down at the hellhound.

  “David is going to be pissed when he sees the gouges in the hardwood you’re leaving.”

  The claws on the hellhound splintered wood everywhere it touched as it slowly prowled forward. Of course, my clever words meant nothing to the creature. But, they had accomplished what I wanted. I had its attention.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The pitch black hide of the beast rippled as its muscles bunched, ready to pounce. The thing was almost as wide as the hall, so I knew the furniture and vases wouldn’t survive our battle.

  I moved slowly at first and then gained speed almost reaching a run when I heard a growl come behind me. I peeked over my shoulder and saw that another hound joined in on the fun. Crap.

  It stood near the door, blocking me from Flynn and Luke. Leaving them might not have been a good idea. Flynn opened the door, and the hellhound turned from me. It put a meaty paw on the door and pushed, cracking the door off the hinges. Flynn, using the strength of twenty men, held the door like a shield. I wanted to go back, but a movement in front of me grabbed my attention. I couldn’t help them and help myself. I had to trust they’d be okay.

  When I turned, the hound that had been halfway down the hall from me was in mid-leap. Its snapping jaws were aimed directly for my head. I bent back to avoid decapitation, putting an arm behind me to brace myself from hitting the ground. That would leave me vulnerable.

  My timing turned out to be excellent, and the beast missed removing my head. Luck turned in my favor. Its leap exposed its belly for mere seconds. I used all my strength and will to raise Luke’s sword in time to slice open its underside. Gore and hot innards rained over me.

  The sword burned in my hand as the wood beneath my feet hissed. The blood was like acid and was burning through David’s hardwood floors. Interestingly, it didn’t affect me.

  My hands sizzled, and I had to let go of the sword. My demon nature had sprung free to give me the agility I needed in the fight and to protect my skin from the hound’s blood. Only it acted as a repellent to the heavenly sword. I was covered too much in beast blood to survive if I pushed my demon aside.

  I sprang to my feet when a clapping sound caught my attention. The battle sounds gone; I also heard Flynn’s struggles behind me.

  “You continue to impress me now that you are embracing who you are. Who you were meant to be. Too bad, it’s too late. Your journey has come to an end. And it appears your Flynn’s time is up, too.”

  Sebastian's eyes were as
black as the hellhounds hide. He was just as striking as he always had been. Only he acted like the true son of Belial, and I’d done that to him.

  I slowly stepped back.

  “I would stop if I were you. If you manage to kill that hound before I kill you, another will take its place. The wards are down, and anything and everything can enter and will until it’s done.”

  “Sebastian, can’t we talk about this,” I said with raised palms.

  “About what Mercy? The fact that you have made me the disappointment of my father? Bested by a demi-demon. Like Eve, you were created to be my other half, yet you fight it. I know what’s holding you back.”

  “What’s that?” I asked taking another step, but I was way too far away to get to Flynn in time.

  In a blink of an eye, Sebastian could have me. I didn’t have the scepter to leap to another place out of his reach.

  “Your soul. I will free you from it, and then we will rule this world together.”

  I’d promised my demon my soul in order to help me find Luke. I wasn’t sure what that meant anymore since my demon nature wasn’t another being. It was just a part of me. Still, I didn’t think telling Sebastian that would be good for me. So I kept that information to myself.

  I eyed Luke’s sword. It could be the only thing that might protect me from Sebastian.

  “Go ahead and pick it up Mercy.”

  To do that, I had to let go of my demon side. He must have known it as well. It would make me more vulnerable. But, what choice did I have. If I grabbed it, I could fling it at the hellhound and hope for the best. At least then, Flynn would be in a better position. My fate was sealed.

  Luke was wounded, and Flynn was busy. I had only me to help myself. And Sebastian was stronger. Or was he?

  I thought about calling on the power of heaven and hell. I could eliminate the hound, put Sebastian out of commission for a short time. It had worked before. And it might work long enough so that maybe I could get to Luke and Flynn out of there. We could find a safe place, a church or something. I wasn’t sure if that would hold Sebastian away.

  “We were friends once.”

  “Not anymore,” he growled.

  Then I thought about that time at his castle. There had been tapestries on the walls much like in Tom’s family’s castle. One of them depicted a family, a mother and a father with a bundle between them. I took a chance.

  “You had a mother you loved.”

  That took him by surprise. He blinked. I went on.

  “She loved you. You were born into this world.”

  He said nothing for a second. “They were vessels for my ticket here on earth.”

  “They meant more than that.”

  “You loved them.” His eyes narrowed. I took a different direction. “You loved your mother didn’t you?”

  “I know what you’re trying to do, but that part of me no longer exists.”

  “You have the memories, Sebastian. They are there. Belial tries to hide that from you. But you remember. You’re as much human as I am. Which means you can feel. You know this is wrong. Please.”

  His eyes were as empty as ever. He raised a blade, and I suspected he planned to kill me that time and send my demon side to hell where he could have me on his terms. “Goodbye, Mercy.”

  In that millisecond, he vanished. A blur of movement caught my attention. Only there wasn’t time to even say a word let alone see who neared. Another hellhound? We were all going to die.

  Just as I was about to blink again, Sebastian appeared. The knife in his hand aimed at my chest. I mouthed the words, I’m sorry to him, not that it mattered. But, I shouldn’t have stabbed him, and maybe none of it would be happening.

  Then everything went black, or so I thought. Instead, there was a body dressed in all black, blocking my view. I heard the impact and whoosh of air leave my savior’s body. He fell to his knees, and I could see Sebastian’s face register with shock. I glanced down, still unable to see the face of the one who’d protected me. I could see the knife that protruded from his chest. It was a direct blow to the heart.

  I opened my mouth to scream, but it was Sebastian’s word that filled the air.

  “No.”

  The one-syllable word seemed to go on for days. The agony in his eyes brought back the blue that I remembered so well. He too sank to his knees.

  “Rune. Why?”

  Rune was Sebastian’s friend. He was the vampire boy who had fallen love with Sebastian when he was turned. Sebastian hadn’t returned his love, at least not that way the boy hoped. However, he’d seemed to find a best friend bond with him.

  I no longer heard growls only running feet. But, it was the cracks forming on Rune’s skin that worried me.

  “I love you,” Rune said, his voice faint and distant. “You didn’t want to hurt her.”

  He slumped over and rolled to his back with the blade sticking out of his chest. Sebastian and I crawled over to either side of him.

  “Take the blade out, Mercy.” I glanced up to see Luke. He nodded towards Rune. “You need to hurry, or it will be too late.”

  Sluffs of Rune’s skin started to flake away. I planted my hand on his chest by the wound.

  “He’ll need blood,” Sebastian said. His accent drifted away as he came to himself.

  I nodded.

  “I’ll do it,” Flynn offered.

  I pulled the knife out, and as I did, I sliced my hand, not wanting to cut my wrist and mistakenly kill myself. I moved my hand over his mouth and let the dripping wound pour into it as he gasped. I wasn’t sure if vampires needed to breathe, but maybe in death, they became human again.

  Luke reached around me and planted his hand on Rune’s chest. A warm glow filled the room. A second later, Rune sucked in a deep breath then nothing. His eyes slid shut, and he was still.

  Tears pooled in my eyes to run rivers down my face. Sebastian let out a guttural cry and slammed a fist on the floor which rattled the house. Luke’s warm hands were in mine, and I could feel him heal me.

  “I’m sorry,” Luke said.

  Sebastian glanced up, and his eyes were a midnight blue. We were losing him.

  “Sebastian, we tried. We tried to save him, but it was your blow that did this.” I reminded him.

  It was hard to blame him, but I couldn’t have him try to smite us all down in his grief. He blinked. Then he glanced down at his friend. He leaned over and placed his head next to Rune’s ear. He could have said something. Unable to hear, I would never know. It seemed rude to ask. If he’d wanted us to know, he would I have said it loud enough.

  He sat up. His eyes flicked between blue, red and black, real freaky like. “I can’t stop what my father is planning. I can’t fail him either. He will destroy me.”

  “Isn’t there something we can do to stop him?” I asked.

  Sebastian glanced at each one of us. His face hardened, and his eyes burned red. He planted a fist into the ground, closing his eyes shut. When he opened them again, they were vacant blue. “We need allies.”

  I nodded. “How?”

  That turned out to be a dumb question. He reached out and touched my arm. I was immediately tunneled away from my home, away from Luke and Flynn.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Reality changed when I opened my eyes and stared at what looked like a large college campus. Where we stood, I could see several huge buildings bordered by green space in the middle. On the outside of that, I couldn’t see everything, but it was enough.

  “Where are we?”

  Sebastian's eyes were fixed on a single spot on one of the buildings in front of us. Finally, he faced me.

  “Canada. We are at a school for demi-demons.”

  “What?” I ask dumbly.

  “Just like in the human world, not all kids are wanted. Parents send their children here for a variety of reasons. Some don’t want their kids to grow up in the human world. Others don’t have the time or inclination to be parents. And others are orphans, brought he
re if found, so they don’t accidentally reveal themselves to the world.”

  “Oh. So the school you took me to before—”

  “That is a demon school. Their blood isn’t mixed with humans. I can’t trust their loyalties.”

  “They seemed to follow your orders.”

  He snorted. “They have no choice. They’re afraid. But, fear doesn’t inspire loyalty and trustworthiness. It creates a chain of command. One they’d willingly break given any opportunity.”

  I remembered my visit to that school where I first met Rune. And the place was crawling with evil intentions.

  “If we are to find allies, we need to find powerful ones with a human side that can stir empathy.”

  “Are you okay?” I asked because not ten minutes ago he wanted to kill me.

  “I don’t have a choice.” He waved a hand over me. A second later, I found myself free of blood and gore. Then he grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”

  More tunnel vision as I was sucked into the vortex of time and space unable to process what he’d done with the clean thing. We reappeared in a hallway lined with doors on either side. Suddenly, Sebastian yanked me to the side as the door in front of us burst open, and a body flew into the wall where we’d been standing not seconds ago.

  The crumbled figure stood, but Sebastian waved a hand sending the person hurdling down the hallway. Then he stepped inside the room with me in tow.

  Two guys were in a death by stare match as we entered. They were around the same height. Even with only their profiles in view, I guessed they would equally get stares from any girls they came across.

  One of the guys began to vibrate, and I felt the floor shake underneath my feet. The same guy balled a fist, and flame circled it.

  “Enough,” Sebastian said sounding more like Belial than himself.

  The two guys froze, only I realized they didn’t do it on purpose. Somehow Sebastian had forced them to stop moving. I glanced at him and saw his eyes focus on the boy’s flaming hand and watched the fire extinguish.

  Holy hell, Sebastian had more power than I gave him credit for.

  “When I release you, you will not try to kill each other.” Sebastian didn’t visibly move, yet the two boys stumbled a little bit, once released.