Angel Of Mercy (Cambions #3) (9 page)

I wanted to tell her that I did believe because I was evidence of the supernatural. Instead I looked at her, perplexed, because such an odd thing to say to a stranger and in the bathroom.  Then, she attacked.

“Hey,” I yelled when she proffered a stake and wielded it at me like a knife aimed at my heart. I snatched at her wrist and realized just how strong she was.

“We will not stand and allow you to pollute our earth,” she spit out, a drizzle from her words landed on me. Eww, now that was just gross.

“What have I done to you?” I asked, truly confused by her actions. Everything happened so fast. Even with her words, I wasn’t completely sure if this fight was over my boyfriend or my status as a demi-demon or both. 

She booted my foot causing a searing pain up my leg. “Ouch,” I cried, right before she kicked the knee on the same leg causing it to buckle. I was going down, but damn if she wasn’t going with me. I twisted her arm on the way, causing her to cry out in pain as we both hit the floor, and in the public bathroom floor, double gross. I didn’t have time to worry about that as we rolled, trading punches. I knew she was human because she hadn’t over-powered me yet. If she’d been other, she would have used supernatural means by now.

Enough was enough, when she stabbed at me again. I wasn’t quite fast enough and the stake tore through my shirt and made contact with my skin. Something snapped in me. Head butting her, I rolled her off of me, holding her head. My arm pulled back I was about to pummel her in the face when the door opened and a couple of teachers came piling in. As they hauled us to our feet, I got a good look at her face. That burnt all the anger out of me. I’d landed several punches. Her face showed the result. It was already swelling. Seeing my own reflection in the mirror while I was hauled out, I barely noticed a scratch. The only evidence I had of the fight was my torn shirt, which revealed my black bra. I held my shirt closed as we were both manhandled into the vice principal’s office.

They sat us in separate chairs side by side and left with stern-faced Ms. Wright eyeing at us.

“Miss Moore, I thought better of you,” she began. I was shocked to hear my name come from her lips. The only other time she’d spoken to me, she’d called me ‘
Missy
’.

“I, I,” I stuttered on the defensive. She held out her hand to silence me. Being the good girl and following directions, I’d initially sat back in the chair but I almost leaped out of in order to explain that this hadn’t been my fault. Though I couldn’t exactly explain why.

Instead, she gave the floor to my attacker. “I don’t know what happened. I think she was mad because her boyfriend was talking to me this morning. I just walked in and she attacked me,” the girl claimed.

“What!” These self-righteous bigots were liars too. I should have known.

“Miss Moore, I need you to control yourself.”

It dawned on me I was playing right into the hands of this demon hunter. I caught the sunny side up of the grin on her face. I dipped my head in defeat wondering how I was going to get out of this mess. The liar finished with her two sentence testimony and gave the floor back to the principal.  “Miss Moore is there something you like to say.”

Taking several cleansing breaths, I said calmly, “She attacked me. She followed me into the bathroom and tried to stake me.” I glared at the girl, sharpening my dagger eyes on her. “You are not Buffy and I am not a vampire.”

“Could have fooled me,” the girl said blatantly.  I wasn’t a vampire. Yeah, our species had a lot in common but I wasn’t a blood sucker, not that they were bad. My head was still ringing from the hits on the tile floor. I had completely gone off on a tangent in my head.

Back on topic, I turned hoping the principal had caught that. “We have strict rules about fighting. And so I’m sorry but I will be forced to expel—” Expulsion? This couldn’t be happening, wouldn’t suspension be the first option.

The office door banged open and a very ticked off Flynn walked in. I hurried to wipe at the angry tears that had formed in my eyes at the idea of expulsion. “Mr. McCallister, you have no right to be in here. Please leave now.” Her eyes bugged out as she read Flynn’s shirt. “And find another shirt to wear.”

Saddling up on the side of the principal’s desk, he leaned with his knuckles digging into the desk and peered into her eyes. “I will do no such thing.” He didn’t joke. He didn’t say it’s a free country or how apt his shirt really was. He just looked like he was ready to tear someone’s throat out. What the hell was bugging him?

The girl to my right moved only to be held in place by her shoulders under Luke’s firm grip. He’d come in and closed the door as silent and deadly as a jaguar on a hunt. “Mr. Bishop, your participation in this—”

“Quiet,” Flynn said. His voice was commanding. His expression was murderous.

“You will leave and go patrol the halls. The fight in the bathroom has been a total misunderstanding. It was a simple slip and fall. You need to keep them happy so they don’t file a lawsuit.”

“Yes, a lawsuit would be no good,” she said compliantly. Her stare was vacant and off. It was too weird. “I’ll just go find the janitor for cleanup and patrol the halls.” It was just that easy and she left us in her office.

Flynn stood and directed his gaze at the girl. “Who knows about Mercy?”

The girl squirmed. “How can you stand her? She’s evil.”

I bristled at this. If she just said it because she wanted my boyfriend, it wouldn’t have bothered me. However, knowing a demon lived inside me, I had to believe that was partly true.

Her stick and stone words weren’t directed at Flynn. Instead, she was looking above her to Luke. To her shock, he answered, “The only thing evil in this room is you.”

The betrayed expression painted on her face was priceless. “Let me go,” she said.

Flynn moved in front of her and took her chin in his hand. He made her face him and I saw the moment she slacked, no longer putting up resistance. “Who knows about Mercy?” he repeated.

“Everyone,” she said. The way she said it made all the hairs on my body stand on end.

“What do you know about her?” he asked.

Luke had stepped away and the hands that previously held her in place, rubbed soothingly at my shoulders.

“That’s she’s demon spawn of course.”

“Who told you that?” he asked.

“It was on the net,” she answered like it was so obvious.

“The net?”

Her face never left his. It was creepy how she looked at him like he was the only person in the world. “The website that lists all known demons.”

“Am I there?” he asked.

“No, silly. You may have an unclean soul but you’re no demon,” she said with adoration on her face.

I rolled my eyes. She went all fan girl. Of course he was overlooked. He had what I didn’t, rock star appeal.

“Who is in charge of this group?” he asked, continuing to prod her for information.

She frowned. “An angel of course.” That raised my eyebrows.

“What’s the angel’s name?” Flynn asked.

“We aren’t given that information. All I know is that each area has a minor angel in charge.”

Luke, Flynn and I all looked at each other.

“Who is the angel in charge in this area?” he asked taking a different approach with his question.

“I don’t know. My parents might know. We’re given instructions and tips through the net and that’s it.”

“What is the website?

She rattled it off. Luke scrambled to write it down on paper. It wasn’t a simple demon hunters r us kind of web address.

“Are there more of you here in school?”

She looked thoughtful. “Not yet. But we are recruiting.”

Flynn and Luke exchanged looks. For me that meant Flynn’s new girl toy wasn’t currently a member.

“Where does your group meet?”

“Different places,” she said.

“The next time they meet, I want you to tell me.”

Her head shook slightly. “If they found out that I spoke to you, with your reputation, I would be kicked out of the order.”

Quick on his feet and not taking his eyes off her, he said, “Okay, post a status update on Facebook and say that you’re going to church.”

With another tiny movement of her head, she said, “Then they will know that I’m giving out information and I’ll be kicked out.”

Sighing, Flynn looked exasperated. Luke said, “Tell me the time and place of your next meeting.”

When she didn’t speak, Flynn asked, “Can you tell Luke?”

“Of course, he’s an angel of mercy and goodness.”

“He’s my angel, alright,” I said sarcastically but without humor.

Flynn shot me a look that said “shut up.” Then quickly he focused back to her. “You will tell them that Mercy isn’t a demon. She fights like a human and if someone hadn’t broken it up, you might have killed her. Then you will tell them the real demon girl got away.”

“Yes,” she said, unable not to agree.

“You should go home and explain that your wounds came from the real demon girl, not Mercy.”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“You will let Luke know when the next meeting is and that is all you will remember from this conversation.”

She nodded again. Luke let go of her. She looked at us wearily and said, “I have to get home.”

She left the room and Luke closed the door behind her. Flynn then got in my face, rage coming off him in waves. “What the hell happened?”

Luke stepped in front of me. “Don’t talk to her that way,” he growled and there was no mistaking the threat in his voice.

Flynn’s eyes narrowed and he wasn’t backing down. For a second I thought I might have to jump in between the two. “Well, if she would feed her demon, I wouldn’t have had to do this. She could have handled it herself,” he spat.

Glancing off to the side biting back anger and humiliation, I knew he was right. At least that I should have been able to handle this on my own and not, once again, relied on rescue. Surely in the back of his mind he was thinking about how he’d nearly died to save me.

“You’re right,” I said pushing to my feet.

Luke turned to look at me with sad eyes. He too likely thought about Flynn’s near death. Yet he said, “No, he’s not. He’s being a douche.”

“No, he’s right. He’s not healing and he had to use whatever power he had to protect me… again,” I defended.

Flynn said nothing. But I hadn’t expected him too. I did feel his eyes on my back as I faced Luke. I wondered what mysteries were in them. Spinning around, I moved to face Flynn. Luke grabbed my arm bring me to a halt. “You’re not going to kiss him.” The air seemed to vibrate with past hurts.

Not wanting to escalate anything, I didn’t yank my arm away. That would have sent the wrong message. “I’m not.” But I looked at his grip until he let go. Then I turned to Flynn and I stepped closer to him. I felt Luke’s heat ratchet up behind me. Ignoring it, I opened my mouth a little as if I was going to speak and pushed. Not my physical body, not my air, but power, my life force and whatever else that would help Flynn. His need was palpable whether he wanted to admit it or not.

He opened his mouth to protest, but was assaulted with what I was giving him. Knowing only Flynn and I could see the vapor matter transfer between us, I watched as it seeped into his mouth and nose. Like water being force down his throat, he had no choice but to breathe it in. And immediately he looked healthier for it. His eyes didn’t look as tired and his face filled with color, no longer pale.

I’d never done that before, not like this at least. Flynn was conscious this time and my knees buckled when I’d given far more than I had to offer.  A wave of dizziness took over me as I gave him from both my human and demon side. Somehow I knew I could give my life to him if I desired.

Just when my legs gave way, Luke caught me and cradled me in his lap as he sat on the chair the demon hunter girl had vacated. “You can’t keep doing that,” he pleaded, all traces of anger gone.

Yes, I could and would. No one would sacrifice their life for me anymore. But I couldn’t say that to him, not now at least. He wouldn’t understand and he might mistake that to mean there was more between Flynn and I than there really was. “Flynn nearly died for me once. Not again,” I said focusing the truth of my words at Flynn.

“Are we done here?” Flynn asked, not bothering to acknowledge what I had done or what had been said. He barely looked at me and then he avoided direct eye contact altogether.

When Luke nodded, Flynn bounded out. “Can I take you home?” Luke asked.

I shook my head. “I’ll just go to class.” I was given another opportunity with school. I wasn’t going to waste it. 

“Just because she said there is no one else in school doesn’t mean there isn’t. You need to be careful and on alert,” Luke warned.

Nodding, I got up and found I was still unsteady. Luke held me around the waist. Then when he gave me what should have been a simple kiss, it wasn’t. He pushed a little of himself into me which gave me a boost. “Luke,” I protested.

Putting his finger to my parted lips, he said, “If you are bent on going to class, you need it.” His smile was warm and my Luke was here. I loved him for it.

Smiling back at him, I let him walk me back to my class hand in hand to get my things before heading to the next one. “Be careful,” he said before heading off to his own. Hating the bipolar personality that was now my boyfriend, I too was going to see what I could do to help reverse the damage I had inflicted on him. I would put all my wrongs right, even if I had to die to do it.

Walking to class, I realized I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask how they’d found out about the fight. Although, if my classmates’ stares were any indication, I imagined someone had texted, tweeted, facebooked or gossiped what happened. Maybe someone had walked by and heard the fight or saw my walk of shame with the vice principal. I slunk into my seat.  I would ask Maggie and Luke at lunch.

This day would prove not to get any better halfway through. It only got exponentially worse.