The Acropolis

by R.K. Ryals

  Chapter 25

  Conor

  Emma exits the bathroom with her hair braided and an expression that oozes contemplation. Lyre, Fiona, Hesther, and Gwenyth exit behind her, their faces full of bemusement. I avoid their gazes.

  "Make any friends?" I ask as I push away from the wall.

  Will whistles next to me. He's noticed the she-Demons' expressions too. Emma's face reddens.

  "I'm not sure I did."

  "You always have me!" a young female voice suddenly chirps, and I groan.

  Will chuckles.

  "Might should have stayed in your room today, Deidra," Will says on a laugh.

  Deidra's eyes widen as her gaze meets mine.

  "Oh."

  "Yeah . . . oh," I say before waving at the door. "But luckily for you, Little Imp, I've got bigger issues."

  My statement catches Emma's attention.

  "What kind of issues?" she asks.

  Will nods at Deidra, and I take Emma by the arm, leading her from the residence hall to the grounds of the estate. Emma will train alone this morning, her focus on attacking and defending against true Demons. She has been sought out twice by Satan's army, in Atlanta and at my home. She needs some sort of fighting knowledge.

  "You're training with Luther today," I say as I guide her toward a forest behind the chateau.

  There is a small one room cabin among the trees used to test students. It is also used to test gargoyles training to be Guardians. Beyond the woods is another home, not as large as the Acropolis but equally impressive that houses gargoyle trainees. It isn't considered a school. It's too unstructured for that. It is only used to train escorts who are being promoted. Everything else is done in the field. We are all about on the job training.

  "I think I told you last night that you will be facing a full-blooded Demon today," I say. Emma nods. "But I wasn't expecting the Demon that's been selected."

  Emma quits walking.

  "You feel reluctant and . . . and anxious maybe?"

  I turn to look at her.

  "Seriously, Em, this whole reading my emotions thing is unnerving."

  Her face flushes.

  "What am I supposed to face?" she asks.

  I stare into the woods, my body on full alert.

  "It's called a drex. It's not the Demon's official name. It's one we gargoyles have created for simplicity. It looks like a smaller version of a dragon and a tyrannosaurus rex. You don't want to be caught by it."

  Emma swallows hard.

  "I'm afraid to ask why," she says slowly.

  There is no time to prepare her for the drex's brutality.

  "They eat flesh."

  Emma's face drains of blood, and her lips flatten. But as scared as her expression is, her eyes redden, and I am suddenly glad that she is who she is. Fear makes her stronger. It heightens her senses, her emotions.

  "Really, Reinhardt, it's not as scary as it sounds," Luther Craig's voice says from behind me, and I cringe. The man has a bad habit of showing up when I really don't want him around. Oh, wait! That's all the time.

  "No, it's scarier. No point in beating around the bush."

  I keep my eyes on Emma even as I respond to the Demon's words. Her hands are visibly shaking. I pull a pack of spearmint gum out of my blue jean pocket, pop a piece in my mouth, and offer her a piece. She takes it. Chewing gum has always helped keep me focused. Her counting method isn't going to help her here. Neither will the gum, but it makes me feel better.

  "We are in a controlled environment," Luther says as he gestures at the trees around us. "Utterly safe."

  Even I recognize the sarcasm in his voice. I can tell by the way Emma narrows her eyes that she can feel it.

  "What am I supposed to do?" she asks.

  One of the things I like most about Emma is that she gets to the point. If the situation she is in isn't one she can get out of, she finds out how to get out of it. She listens, and she dissects. Sometimes, she holds back, but I think even that is a way to discern exactly what her chances are. Luther leans against a tree.

  "Guess this means we're supposed to begin. Let's talk about your power first, Emma. Do you even know how you caught Lyre's magic yesterday?" Luther asks.

  I stand to the side. This is not my area of expertise. As much as it galls me to watch Emma trained by a smartass Demon, I don't have much choice.

  "I'm not really sure. I just saw a red haze," Emma answers.

  Luther watches her closely.

  "That was anger. Emotion, for you, can take on physical property. You can mold emotions, transform it into anything you desire. But not only can you mold your own emotions, you can mold emotions projected at you or even emotions you feel from others. Yesterday, instinct preserved you. Today, I want you to try and use it on your own."

  Luther steps forward, placing his hand on her forehead. Watching him touch her has an unusual affect on me. I don't want the sick feeling in my stomach to be anything green-eyed and covetous, but I fear it is. Luther moves closer. There is little space between them now. The sick feeling grows.

  "What's the strongest emotion you feel right now?" Luther asks.

  Emma's forehead creases.

  "Jealousy," she says softly.

  Luther gives me a knowing look and grins. It makes my blood boil.

  "No . . . it's anger," Emma corrects.

  Luther's grin widens.

  "Now draw on it. Emotions can have a very tangible feel. If it feels like you can touch it, it's because you can."

  Emma steps back, breaking contact with the Demon.

  "No."

  Luther stares at her. We both do.

  "Excuse me," Luther says.

  He doesn't like being disobeyed. Emma's cheeks color. Her skin is too fair. Her face is a doorway to every feeling she feels, but she doesn't try and hide it.

  "Every time I draw on anger or fear something bad happens," she says.

  Luther shrugs, his brows raised. It's obvious he doesn't understand the problem.

  "Anger makes you strong, Emma. It's okay to use that. Especially in times of need."

  Emma continues to shake her head.

  "I won't do it."

  Luther is angry now. It's easy to see how dangerous he is. I step between them.

  "They will be releasing the Demon any moment to see if you can control it, and you refuse to listen to me?" Luther asks.

  Emma stands her ground. If I ever thought her unattractive or plain, I am suddenly rethinking my opinion.

  "I won't do it."

  She doesn't sound whiny or petulant. She just sounds determined. I look at her, my eyes moving over her face. Her jaw is tight.

  "Emma . . ." I begin, but she shakes her head.

  "No. There's no talking me out of it."

  Luther is agitated.

  "You'd rather die, Hybrid, than use a power that comes naturally to you. Demons are anger. We are fear, we are hatred, we are jealousy, and we are greed. Embrace it."

  Luther and I are both staring at her. I don't think either of us understands why she refuses to use her powers for different reasons. Luther, because she is a Demon who should embrace her power. Me, because she should use whatever is at her disposal to protect herself. Emma is a clock that doesn't go clockwise. I want to know what makes her tick.

  Emma's face is red, but she lifts her shoulders, her resolve clear.

  "You, Hybrid, say this as if our powers are what makes us into the people we are. Maybe it's because I've never even known I had powers until now, but I don't want what I am to be anger and fear and hatred and jealousy and greed."

  In that moment, I think I fall for her. Maybe not in love. I haven't known her long, but I am definitely interested. I am captivated. I am intrigued. Luther is pissed.

  "And here I thought you were worth saving," he says.

  "Because I refused to kill Deidra," Emma argues.

  Luther's eyes narrow.

  "No, I
thought you were worth saving because you used your Demonic powers on the person who deserved it the most, a person with power equal to yours. And you held back when faced with someone who is lesser. You chose the fair fight over destroying just for the need to destroy. That's called control."

  Emma is still, her expression thoughtful.

  "But I didn't choose the fair fight. If not for Conor, I would have destroyed her using her own power. Not mine. I didn't feel anger. I felt her anger."

  Luther frowns.

  "That is your power, Emma. Being able to use the emotions around you is a power. A strong one."

  "Then it's one I won't use," she says.

  Luther snarls. To say he is angry is an understatement. A ball of fire hits a tree behind Emma, and it goes up in flame. I lift my hand, pulling on the moisture in the air and use it to douse the blaze. I turn on Luther.

  "If you want to make this a fight, make it one. Here. Now. With me."

  Luther's eyes are red, his jaw tight.

  "Then let's see how well your gargoyle magic fares against a Demon that craves flesh. I leave you both to it."

  With that, Luther walks away. One moment, he is there. The next, he is gone.

  "Am I wrong?" Emma asks me quietly. I turn to her.

  "Your morals are in the right place. I'm not sure if it will help you though."

  She sighs.

  "I get angry. I'm only human. I-I just don't want to use other people's emotions as a weapon. My own, I get. But not others."

  I stare at her.

  "Sometimes I think the Inner Circle was wrong," I say suddenly.

  Emma's eyes widen.

  "Wrong?"

  I am closer to her now, and I know I was the one to move.

  "It's hard to believe your mother is a Demon."

  Emma grimaces.

  "That's because my real mother isn't."

  And that's when we hear the roar. Branches break, the ground rumbles, and I know the best thing to do right now is run.