Fall From Grace (17 page)

“You could bolt but who’d help you kill that
monster that nearly ended your life?”

He snarled. “Don’t like being told what to
do.”

Gaby chuckled. “Surprise, a murdering,
narrow-minded hunter doesn’t like to follow someone under his rank.
Get over it.”

He didn’t have a chance to protest as the
car rolled to a stop and The Prim got out.

“Nice move detaining me. Maybe you did learn
a few things from your old man.” David winked at her. “So what’s
the plan?”

“Follow my lead.” Gaby didn’t have time to
explain that she didn’t have a clue. Just the survival instinct
when it came to these situations.

Prim stood with mouth gaping.

“Principal Mastema. I’m so glad you’re
here.” Gaby forced her voice to sound relieved. She maintained a
firm grip on the journal but rested it on her left hip. “We could
sure use your help.”

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m great. Tornado hit the house
during the last storm.” Yep, the cover story formed in her head as
if it were her own memory.

“The last storm was days ago. Where have the
Lorre’s been staying?” Prim managed even with her distant gaze
scanning the wreckage.

“With my father and I. We’ve already called
some contractors. We were just here collecting some personal items
from the house before they began clearing.”

“Where’s Mrs. Lorre?” Prim shook her head
and refocused on her, obviously realizing there was a strange
six-foot-four mammoth of a man standing at her side.

“Oh, this is David. He’s Alexander and
Sammy’s uncle.”

“Nice to meet ya, ma’am.”

What was with his hick voice and manners?
She had to force her attention to remain on Prim. “He’s here from
Kentucky. You know Grace adopted Sammy and Alexander after their
parents died.”

“No, I didn’t know that.” Prim shook David’s
hand, her neck cranked back to look into his eyes.

“Well, Grace had to go take care of some
things and asked Uncle David here to stay with Alex and Sammy.”

Prim emerged from the fog and gave a cocked
eyebrow look at Gaby. “It must be cramped at your house.”

“Not too bad. It’s like a big slumber
party.” Gaby gave her brightest smile. Prim pressed her lips
together for a second. “Maybe we should talk in my office tomorrow
morning. Until then, Mr. David, I assume the children are in good
hands.”

“Yes ma’am. Good as a new born calf in my
stable.”

Geez, lay it on thick much? Dad always said
to stick with what you knew with a cover story. Never choose
somewhere you’ve never been or try to pull off some crazy accent.
David should know better than to draw attention to himself.

“I think I better give you a ride home and
have a chat with your dad.” Prim sauntered back to her car.

“We’re all headed over now. Why don’t we
meet you there?” Alexander slipped his hand into hers and an
instant happiness rushed through her.

They didn’t need any trouble right now. If
Prim pressed the issue, they could have social workers here in an
hour, and they’d be forced to flee Kemp without a plan or a place
to go.

“I’m a contractor by trade. I’ll make sure
the roof’s up by the end of the month.” David clapped his hands
together.

“Yes, well, just the same, I’d like to drive
Gaby home and have a chat with her father. He’s taken on a lot, and
with his previous…condition, I’d like to lend my support where I
can.”

She opened the car door and slammed it shut
before anyone had a chance to protest.

“I don’t like this. You’re not going alone
with her. Grace thought there was something inhuman about her. I
can’t let anything happen to you.” Alexander declared, but if she
didn’t get in that car, they’d have trouble, and if he joined them,
there would be trouble. Alexander would never be able to hold his
tongue.

“I’ll go with her; you, Sammy, and Boon
follow close by. I’m getting the feeling that woman isn’t going to
take no for an answer. Between all of us, we can keep her safe. If
this is our demon, it’s gonna sense you three close by, not to
mention it already knows I’m a hunter. It’s not going to give away
its cover without a good reason.”

Gaby knew all this was ridiculous. The
principal wasn’t a demon, just a woman who cared about her
students, but it didn’t matter. She needed to keep the peace for
now. “I’ll be fine. Promise.” She kissed his cheek. “Until
later.”

David jumped in the front seat of the car
before Gaby even reached it. She slid into the back seat and Prim
made a u-turn around the old oak tree and headed to the highway.
Thank goodness the catastrophe was averted for the moment.

Prim opened her mouth for what Gaby was sure
would be an interrogation, but before she could get the words out,
David started one of his own.

“You’re the principal of the local high
school?”

“Yes.”

“How long have you lived in Kemp? Is it a
great place to raise a family?” David kept his face soft and
charming like a young cowboy.

Prim huffed. “Four years and no family.
Where’d the tornado come from? I didn’t see any trees twisted or
mess?”

“It came out the tree line from the
direction of county line road and moved up the beach.” Gaby tugged
at the constricting seatbelt to warn David to stop talking.

“I see.” Prim glanced in her rear view
mirror at her. “And how are you dealing with all the company? I
mean, that’s a lot of people in your small house.”

“I love it. It was lonely when my mother
died. It’s great having everyone around.” Funny, Gaby didn’t
remember her ever visiting. How’d she know the size of Gaby’s
house? Of course, most people in Kemp knew her home. Who wouldn’t
after the old people died in it a few months ago under mysterious
circumstances before she arrived, and the shack was auctioned off,
property and all?

Gaby saw her house come into view. Nerves
rumbled through her stomach; she just hoped it wasn’t some sort of
power gearing up to take care of some demon. She fingered the pages
of the journal and hoped she’d find some time alone to read more
soon.

The car rolled to a stop, and everyone got
out. Gaby shot ahead and ran to the front door. It was locked.
Funny, they hadn’t bothered to lock it since Patronus had arrived.
She didn’t even carry a key anymore.

She knocked, but they all stood on the
rickety old porch, with half the bricks lying sideways on the
ground, in uncomfortable silence. “I’ll run around back. Stay
here.”

Gaby sprinted around back and caught a
glimpse of Alexander in the woods.

He jogged over. “What’s up?”

“Don’t know. Dad didn’t answer the door.”
She tried to keep calm but considering the events of the last few
days, she had a right to be nervous.

Alexander walked ahead and yanked the locked
screen door open. “I’ll fix that later.” He gave a half smile.

“Ah, that’s okay. I’ll fix it.” Gaby teased
to relieve some of the tension building in her shoulders.

He gave a knowing nod and made his way to
the glass sliding door. “Where’s Patronus? He should be barking or
jumping at the door.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” She scanned
the back yard but no monster approached.

Alexander tugged on the door and it opened.
He held a hand up for Gaby to stay behind him.

Her stomach churned with uncertainty. No
visions flashed or powers surfaced; certainly if her father was
attacked she’d receive some sort of warning.

They stepped into the kitchen, and Gaby
gasped. Empty bottles of alcohol lay scattered all over the kitchen
and living room. It looked like her father had been drinking for
days or had a party.

“Gaby. Everything all right in there?” Prim
called through the unopened door.

“Where’s my dad?” She whispered to
Alexander.

“Don’t know, but The Prim can’t see this or
you’ll be living in foster care by the end of tonight.”

****

Need help
. Alexander called to Sammy
and Boon as he started clearing the bottles. He held his breath to
avoid the overwhelming alcohol odor. If the principal was an
earthbound creature, she’d notice immediately upon entering the
house.

“We’re here.” Sammy called from the glass
sliding door. “Oh, my.”

“Yeah, Gaby’s devastated but hiding it well.
She’s doing great maintaining her control. Maybe the powers are
settling, and we can start some serious training after this. Boon,
check Bruce’s room, see if he’s passed out in there.” He tossed
another two bottles into a large garbage bag, and Sammy wiped up
what had spilled.

Prim’s voice grew louder from outside, and
Alexander prayed Gaby could stall her a few seconds longer. “Gaby,
if your father isn’t home maybe you should come stay with me until
after school tomorrow. I told you when your father returned from
rehab that I’d keep a close eye on you. It was against my better
judgment not to involve social services when he went into rehab,
but I did it for you.”

“Sure she did.” Warning bells went off in
Alexander’s head. That principal was way too interested in Gaby’s
well being. He wanted to end the charade and tell her that he knew
exactly what she was, but he needed proof.

He scanned the room and didn’t see anything
else. His heart bled for what this would do to Gaby. How could he
let her down again? It was a disease, but Bruce had beaten it, been
sober for several months.

“Listen, leave your dad a message that
you’ll be staying with me. He can pick you up later.”

“Judy, I’ll be fine.” Gaby said.

“I’m not leaving you here locked out of your
home.”

“Wait, there’s a hidden key. I just
remembered.”

Alexander ran back to Bruce’s room and slid
on some liquid as he rounded the corner. Blood. He hadn’t smelled
it because of the overpowering scent of vodka…wait, vodka wasn’t
Bruce’s drink of choice. Whiskey was his poison.

He lifted Bruce’s chin and caught a glimpse
of dark swirls before they disappeared. Something evil had attacked
him.

The front door squeaked open, and Alexander
jumped through the doorway onto Bruce’s bed. Boon pressed a cloth
to Bruce’s temple, who leaned against the side of the mattress. His
clothes reeked of alcohol. “How—”

“He didn’t.” Boon held up a hand. “Nothing
on his breath, and his speech isn’t slurred. Someone went through a
lot of trouble to make it look like he did, though.”

“Gaby? She okay?” Bruce crinkled his
forehead in obvious pain.

“She’s great.” Alexander remembered his lips
pressed against hers earlier. She was back, and he’d never let her
go again.

“Lover boy, we’ve got issues, focus.” Sammy
tiptoed in from the hall.

Alexander shot up from the bed and shut the
bedroom door then ran to the bathroom and turned on the shower.
“Won’t work for long, but we need to think fast.”

“Hey, Bruce. We stopped in to check on ya.”
David shouted down the hall. “I knew Bruce back in Kentucky. He
worked one of my sites for awhile.”

Footsteps sounded followed by two knocks.
Alexander clenched his teeth and waited by the door.

“Bruce, you in ther’? Principal wants to
talk to ya.”

Alexander nodded at Bruce to say something.
Maybe they’d convince the principal to leave.

“Sorry, just finishing up in the
shower.”

“I’ll wait.” The principal called out.

Dang, she was pushy. They were never gonna
get rid of her until she saw Bruce. How would they explain his
appearance?

“Might be awhile. Still covered in soap and
need to get dressed.”

“I think she’ll wait for ya.” David said
through the closed door.

Boon helped Bruce up onto the bed.

There wouldn’t be much time. Hopefully all
the practicing he’d been doing would help speed things up, but
healing a demonic wound was tricky. Not sure he had much of a
choice. Of course, Patronus would go nuts if he spread his wings.
“Where’s Patronus?”

“Don’t know. I woke, and he was gone.
Whoever did this must’ve taken him.” Bruce winced as Boon pressed
the cloth to his forehead. A deep gash ran down his temple to the
back of his neck.

“Why would someone want a dog? If it were a
demon, it wouldn’t be able to get near Patronus.”

Alexander ignored all the other issues and
focused on healing Bruce so they could get rid of the pushy
principal. He yanked his shirt over his shoulders and his wings
spread free, knocking the alarm clock off the nightstand, but Sammy
caught it before it hit the floor.

He arched his hands over the wound, resting
his fingertips against Bruce’s jaw on all sides of the jagged cut.
He’d been lucky, only a half-inch higher and Bruce would have lost
an eye. Focusing on the inner flicker of silver, he tugged energy
from his core and let it run through his veins to his hands. Cool
vibrations shot from him into Bruce who jerked straight then
relaxed under his touch.

Gaby had told him once it was like being
wrapped in a cocoon of bliss.

Sammy turned off the shower and yanked a
shirt from Bruce’s drawer.

Alexander stalled at the dark craving for
alcohol that loomed in Bruce’s body, but no sign of any substance
in his system. And the desire had faded since that night he’d tried
to heal him a few months ago.

He’d done it. Alexander lowered his head.
Shame filled him for jumping to conclusions, but what was he
suppose to think with the house staged liked that? His wings tucked
back in and he sat on the edge of the bed next to Bruce, pulling
his shirt down over his shoulders. “Sorry, I thought—”

“No need, son. Boon told me about all the
bottles. I’d think the same thing if I’d seen it. Did Gaby—”

“Don’t worry. I’ll let her know. Who do you
think did this?” Alexander stood and paced the room. The low
popcorn covered ceiling made him feel trapped.