Once I was out in the open and vulnerable, I started to wonder if demons had the same bodily functions as humans. I was part human but I had no idea about demon physiology. Sebastian ate. I knew he took showers because he would come out of his room sometimes smelling soapy clean with damp hair. But I had no idea if he used the bathroom for anything else. Okay, I was weirded out by that thought. But I was sure they would have showers. Where there were showers, there should be toilets. Otherwise, I’d have to improvise.
My luck was improving because only a few doors down I found a door marked with the familiar female icon. I pushed my way through and there were in fact stalls. I made my way over doing the tippy toe dance. I really needed to go bad and my time had just run out.
Relief was swift and a pleasant expression filled me until the door opened and giggles filled the room. Frozen, I hoped whoever it was wouldn’t notice my presence. I heard banging and quiet laughter as a stall further down banged shut. The place was so quiet, I heard the faint unmistakable sound of a zipper.
Rolling my eyes, I knew I couldn’t hide away in the stall forever. I thought my best bet was to beat whoever it was out of the bathroom. I flushed the toilet and high tailed it to the sink quickly. Thoroughly wash my hands, I looked at the bank of stalls before I left. I notice two sets of feet and one set of knees on the floor. I rolled my eyes again. I was so not interested in being a witness to whatever was going on behind that first stall. I had no desire of the embarrassment I would suffer if I had to face the two people who obviously didn’t care about my presence. I’d almost made it to the door when I heard a zip and the stall door pushing open.
The petite blond girl stumbled out of the stall like she was drunk. Wiping at her face she barely even glanced in my direction on her way to the sink. But what caught my eye before I could get away was a familiar face and messy but sexy hair. Flynn.
I heard him mutter a curse before calling after me. I’d fled. I’d dashed away from the boy I’d come to rescue. What a fool, I’d been. He’d looked about as much in danger as I, a lone lamb in a den of lions. Could I trust anyone? I felt nauseated when I crashed through Rune’s door feeling the sting of tears in my eyes. Why did it hurt so much to see that? He and I were nothing. We were like oil and water, but I doubled over in pain falling on knees to the floor.
The door opened behind me and I didn’t bother to look. I didn’t want to see in his eyes. I felt him come towards me and I began to crawl away towards the window. “Mercy,” he said.
“Leave me alone,” I said in slow and deliberate words. I didn’t care. I wanted to run and leave both him and Sebastian. I needed to find Rune. He may be my only chance at escape.
But I wasn’t moving that fast and Flynn’s arms easily pulled me back to the point I was sitting on his lap my back to his chest. He nuzzled my neck and whispered my name in my ear. “Mercy.”
Pulling away, I turned to face him. I landed on my butt, with my legs outstretched in front of me like parallel lines. When he crawled his away over to me straddling my legs without touching me, I leaned back with my arms steadying me doing the best I could to keep away from him.
He was there all too soon with his hands in my hair, cupping the back of my neck drawing me to him. I resisted, at least I thought I did. When his lips reached mine, my heart nearly melted until I remembered the vision of moments before. Added to that, I remembered the hurt and pain in Luke’s eyes at my betrayal. I pushed at Flynn’s chest with all the force I had and struck gold. The power Rune had inadvertently gifted me allowed me to fling him across the room to the door. Stunned at the force I exerted, he stared at me. I looked at my hands in surprise. But I saw nothing but my hands. I found my voice though. “Don’t you ever try that again,” I roared.
Flynn never one to back down edged his way towards me. I stood and moved far too fast to the window that I paused to understand what was happening. Was it the power exchange or the bite that made me move like a vampire? Had he turned me?
“I didn’t ask you to come, so why are you here?” he said and anger clearly laced his words.
I didn’t turn back to look at him. He wasn’t going to turn this around to make me out to be the bad guy. “Well, if you weren’t a horny bastard, I wouldn’t be here,” I spat.
He let loose a strangled laugh. “Horny is our nature. Get used to it.”
Not liking the fact that he’d included me in his bad behavior, I spun on my heels to face him. “You quixotic licentious bastard. You and I are not the same.”
“Oh Webster, I’m not hundred percent sure of what you said, but we are alike,” he said stalking towards me. It wasn’t like this room was huge so in a few more steps he would be on me. But I held my ground. “We are two sides of the same coin. I tried to let you go, but here you are, always tempting me.”
My eyebrows shot up. “I was dragged here kicking and screaming,” I said lying, but it sounded good. “Sebastian said I had to be the one to convince you to come home.”
“Maybe I don’t want to come home. Maybe I’m tired of seeing you prance around the house in your tight pants, shaking your ass in front of me like I’m not supposed to notice.”
My eyes widen impossible further. “You talk about prancing around. What about you and your shirtless walks around the house, flexing your muscles like you are Mr. Incredible.”
“I am incredible and it’s about time you noticed.”
I turned away from him because what we were saying to each other was totally silly and my anger was about to end in laughter. I had to get in control.
But he was suddenly there all around me. Now I found myself looking into his eyes and I had no idea how I’d turned. “I left to give you and Luke sometime to work things out. He is my best friend and you are now my sister, I guess.” He said sister like it was a dirty word. “But you’re not with Luke, you’re here for me.”
His mouth crushed to mine and I pooled in his arms. For something that felt so right, I knew with all my heart it was so wrong.
Ducking down to the ground, I moved from his embrace with a movement a vampire might to possess.
“Why are you here then?” he asked, sounding annoyed.
“For your information, Luke is missing. Nina said he’s been taken by the council,” I replied not answering his question. I wanted to change the focus.
His fist hit the wall and made a resounding thud. “Fuck,” he said. A grumbling noise came from the next room.
I agreed with the sentiment but I didn’t give voice to it. Instead I yelled out, “Sorry Dep” remembering what Rune said earlier. Flynn narrowed his eyes at me but soon forgot what I’d just done.
“Look, you need to go. I can’t be around you. I can’t help Luke either, so just leave.” He didn’t sound mad. He sounded resolute.
“But,” I said.
“Can’t you take a hint? I Do Not Want You Here!” he roared, without raising his voice.
A knock at the door came and Flynn turned and stepped back. I moved with grace and speed to open it. I needed air because my eyes were burning with unshed tears. If I hadn’t been overwhelmed with all that had happened to me, I may have reacted in time. But the punch connected with my nose and I saw stars. And not the good ones I saw when I kissed Luke.
Flat on my bottom again, I looked up to see the pretty petite blond glowering down at me. I stood and moved forward letting my new found power and limited self-defense training take over. It was my turn and my fist drove home. The power of the punch had the girl slamming into the wall that lay directly outside Rune’s room. I descended on her, releasing all my fury and rage from what I’d seen and learned in the last hour. My hand held a fist full of her hair while my other hand pulled back to prepare to pummel her again.
Arms around my waist pulled me back, but I didn’t let go of her hair. She screamed in fury, swinging her arms every which way blinded by the hair I wasn’t holding. I lifted my knee and heard the satisfying crack. Her body went limp and I had only a moment of
regret before a fire ball danced only an inch from my face. I turned to see a furious Bernadette staring down at me with another ball of fire glowing in her other hand.
“Duck,” I heard Flynn say before he pulled me down with him to the ground. At this point voices began to fill the halls. Once a place of solace and tranquility soon became filled with voices and other noises I couldn’t make out through my blood haze. I lay next to the girl I’d been fighting with moments before. I wave of relief coursed over me when I saw her breathing.
But the real threat was still there. “You bitch,” Bernadette cried.
I heard the whiz of air as another fire ball zoomed by me too close for comfort. “Wait,” I said. “I’m not going to fight over Flynn,” I yelled towards the demon turning my head briefly to catch the hurt in Flynn’s eyes. Well, that was too damn bad because it was true. I’d been sucked into the other fight working off my rage over my predicament. But that had passed and reality had set in.
“You can’t have them all,” she wailed. With surety, I knew she was talking about both Flynn and Sebastian. “I ought to go kill your pretty little boyfriend and that stupid little redheaded bitch.” That brought me to my feet. She was talking about Luke and Maggie. Luke could handle himself and plus he wasn’t around for her to even try anything. But she’d crossed the line threatening my best friend.
I stood with the grace and ease of a panther. I felt the power crackle inside me. My eyes burned black with frightening ferocity. It was all there inside me, the succubus and the vampire power. I faced the demon with utter determination. Her eyes widened in surprise but only for a second. She had her game face on and I was ready.
But before I could act on what felt like a merging, an acceptance of what I was, more powerful arms were around me. This time, they weren’t Flynn’s. I watched in sheer surprise when Bernadette’s head was pulled back, arms secured and neck bared by none other than Anna. Her fangs were extended and I could barely hear her tell the girl not to move.
It was then I knew the arms that held me belonged to Rune. Sounds came crashing in as the rage that course through me moments before receded into the background.
There were many faces in the halls now. Sebastian materialized in between Bernadette and I. He took in the situation and barked orders that had everyone scrambling. “Back to your rooms or class,” he shouted. I wasn’t exactly sure of his status. But it wasn’t long before it was just Bernadette, Anna, Flynn, Rune, the blonde girl still out on the floor, Sebastian and me left in the hallway.
“You bastard,” Bernadette wailed.
He turned his focus from me to her. He didn’t speak, but Anna released the other girl. Bernadette moved with haste towards Sebastian who did the same with equal intent. He crushed his mouth to hers and pushed her against the wall.
Immediately, I thought ‘what the heck’. But I saw the girl going limp and I knew that wasn’t a passionate embrace. He was going to kill her. Sebastian was like Flynn but his power was directed at demons. I pushed at the hands gripping my waist. Rune must have been stunned too, not yet realizing what was going on because he let me go. I stumbled towards Sebastian. “Don’t,” I cried.
For the moment he listened. He broke their kiss. She seemed dazed and not able to put up any sort of a fight when he plunged his fist into her chest. He murmured, “Don’t move or I’ll pull your heart out.”
I looked at what he’d done, but saw no blood. Part of his arm had dematerialized. What I couldn’t see wasn’t in this place or time. If he allowed his hand to re-materialize, I was certain of her demise. “Sebastian, please don’t kill her,” I begged. I wasn’t sure why I was coming to her defense. But it didn’t seem right for her to die because she loved him. Odd thoughts crossed my brain. He and Flynn were kindred spirits. I understood why they got along so well.
“She put you in danger. This was all her plan,” he said.
Again I was confused. Did that mean he wasn’t hunting me? Somehow I didn’t think so. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t want her to die on my behalf.”
He removed his hand from her chest and the girl fell to the floor. He took a step towards me when Talya projected her form in the middle of the remnants of battle.
Chapter Twenty Four
recalcitrant (adj.) defiant, unapologetic
Talya moved towards Sebastian. He didn’t move his hand. She appraised him and all of us one by one. I followed her eyes as she looked at the girl lying at my feet.
“What is the meaning behind all of this?” she asked, no one in particular with hands spread wide.
Bernadette who was looking a little worse for wear with a hand on her chest said, “Do you know who she-.” But that sentence was never to be finished when Sebastian sealed his mouth over hers and stole her life.
Talya’s light flashed towards Sebastian as Berndette’s empty shell fell to the ground. Talya’s arm was outstretched in the familiar move Sebastian had done twice already. But Sebastian caught it as if she was nothing.
“Get them out of here!” Sebastian yelled. Anna and Rune seemed to spring into action. I was in utter fascination watching Talya turn completely into flame. She looked like an animated ball of fire. Against the raging orange and yellow flame was a shocking blazing blue arm. It was attached to Sebastian. He was even more powerful than I thought.
“You forget your place, Talya. Or have you forgotten who my father is,” Sebastian said with cool detachment. I was in awe of the sights before me. It wasn’t until I was lifted off my feet did my eyes turn away. Before I even thought possible we were out into the night running down the expansive lawn, leaving the school behind.
But when I thought we were in the clear utter chaos broke loose. Colby was there with a smile that promised he was looking forward to the fight to come. Dropped to my feet, I could only hope I still had a little of the vampire power left in me. I watched as Rune, Anna and Flynn began to fight. Trying to decide who to help, I was tugged backwards by someone who had my hair.
In an accidental move with my feet kicking out, my momentum had me back flipping in the air. My foot connected with my attackers face before I landed on my feet. With the demon temporarily incapacitated, I spent a moment too long appreciating my handy work. Not used to battling, I’d let my guard down and something got the best of me.
Another fist connected with my sore jaw. I ducked then rolled hoping to avoid another blow. I tried to see which way another attack would come, but at the moment everyone was engaged. I kept low to the ground this time not only using my sight but listening for sounds of approaching predators. It was hard to discern with violence all around me, but surely a vampire hearing was as good as their sense of smell. And currently I was riding a vampire high of power.
I made my move when a demon attempted to double team Anna. I owed her. She’d helped me with Bernadette.
My fist landed with a force unknown to mankind. The demon rocketed out of the picture. I tried to find Flynn but there were bodies everywhere. We were really out numbered. That worried me. Rune and Anna were vampires. But Flynn was just half incubi. Our power didn’t rest in brute force. I knew he could handle himself ordinarily, but we were way out classed here. The only reason I was still in the game was because I had stolen power from Rune.
When my vision fell onto a bloody Flynn who was giving all he had, I moved like the wind to him. But a blur of movement got there first and moved on casting down demon after demon until the battle ended. We all stood circling about assessing each other. That was when I noticed that our savior was Sebastian.
“Rune, Anna,” Sebastian said. “Talya is no more. I’ve had a report sent, that shows Bernadette caused a problem which resulted in their demise. No one else knows anything. I will handle clean up here. You guys go back and confirm the story.”
They left moving quickly, not giving me time to thank them. I was only able to make out their forms as they headed back to the school. Sebastian moved across each of the fallen laying a hand on their chest with
his eyes cast upward. Each time he did so, something in each one lifted and settled into him like a fine mist.
Once whatever it was, left the body the flesh turned to dust. It was so odd how each of the dead looked so human. I had no idea what kind of demons we’d been fighting. In mere minutes it was just us. Only a little disturbance showed in the grass. Somehow I doubted anyone would come out here to inspect. The lawns were too perfect. Their pristine condition suggested that no one actually spent any time out here at least in front of the school except maybe a grounds keeper.
Sebastian stood and Flynn inched towards me. Sebastian’s eyes were filled with the orange balls of flame Talya’s body was made of. Along with that, his jaw was clamped tight. You could see the ridges of control take over his face. The light burned out and left Sebastian’s eyes the cool blue they normally were, I sighed. When Flynn’s arms rested on my sides, my first thought was that all had been forgiven. But with a slight shove, Flynn propelled me forward and into Sebastian’s arms.
“I’m staying,” Flynn said.
Waiting for Mercy (Cambions) Page 25