Jordyn (A Daemon Hunter Novel Book One) (5 page)

"
Ha, you're so funny," I said, knowing he was teasing me.

"
How was your mission?" I asked.

"
The usual," he said, sounding bored.

"
Maybe I can go with you guys next time," I said hopefully. The guys in my family had been handling the lion's share of the simple missions that were being handed down and spent most of the year traveling. Sam, Krista and Lynn took turns shuttling me around when a Guide's assistance was needed on a mission. They made a point of making sure I was never alone. I was insanely jealous of their freedom and spent the last year begging and pleading for an opportunity to go with them. All my pleas had fallen on deaf ears since I lacked a Guide's gift of helping free a soul, but I had argued countless times that I could be an asset to the Protectors.

"
I'm not sure how many more missions we'll have in our future," Sam said, smiling brightly at me.

"
Why not?" I asked, biting back my disappointment as my hopes were dashed. In the back of my head, I had been harboring the hope that after my success with the Daemons the night before that I would be allowed into their world once and for all.

"
Your uncle and I decided to do something we've wanted to do for a very long time."  

"
And what is that?" I asked, trying not to sound as belligerent as I felt. 

"
We've decided to fill out the paperwork to adopt," she said excitedly.

"
Oh, very cool," I said, feeling like a complete ass. I knew how badly Sam and Shawn wanted kids. They'd rejected the idea of adoption for years, claiming their lifestyle wouldn't be a fair environment to raise a child. "Are you guys going to try to adopt a baby?"

"
No, we've decided to adopt an older child. One that might've otherwise fallen through the cracks. The woman we met with told us about a little boy who would be a perfect candidate. His mom died when he was born, and his dad just went to jail for manslaughter. They're searching for family members that might want to step in and adopt him, but if no one steps forward, we might be able to adopt him," she said with excitement lacing through her every word as happy tears gathered in her eyes.

"
That's awesome," I said, feeling a lump in my throat.

"
Of course, everyone is going to have to act normal," Shawn said, raising his eyebrows at me.

"
What? I act normal."

"
Reallllllllly," he said, fluffing my newly dyed hair.

"
Hey, even normal people dye their hair."

"
True, but they don't talk about wanting to kick Daemon ass or terrain training they've done with their Arch Angel," he teased.

"
Duh, what am I, a complete moron? Besides, you guys should be more worried about yourselves. You're not exactly Joe and Mary Ray of Sunshine from Perfectville, USA," I said, defending myself.

Everyone looked at me for a moment before bursting out laughing.
"You definitely have a way with words, Jordyn, no doubt," Shawn choked out.

"
So, how old is the rugrat?" I asked curiously.

"
He just turned nine. They didn't know he even existed until a neighbor notified the authorities that he was all alone in the trailer he'd shared with his father. Turns out, he'd been all alone in there for three days after his father was arrested."

"
Holy shit," I muttered. "Oops, sorry," I said, looking at Mark.

"
I'd say under the circumstances, we'll let it slide. It's a deplorable situation," he said, looking solemn.

"
He'll be placed in foster care until any relatives can be reached, which could take up to a year," Sam said, sounding dismayed at the idea. The woman at the agency said he was taken to the hospital and treated for dehydration and multiple abrasions, including a broken arm that had gone untreated. They actually had to break the bone again to get it to set the right way. He also has a limp from a bone that was broken in his leg a long time ago that never healed right. Eventually, they'll put in a rod and screws to fix the bone. All the bad conditions and poor nutrition have made him frail and his bones very weak. He saw the hospital psychologist this morning and seems to okay mentally, despite his obvious horrible past," Sam said quietly, struggling with her emotions over the situation.

This is where being a Guide was tough. Sam could feel every bit of pain this poor kid has endured in his short nine years.

Krista reached over and patted her hand. "I'm sure he's tough, Sam. He'd have to be to make it through that, right?" she said, putting her arm around Sam.

Where the girls in our family struggled with containing their sensitive emotions in a situation like this, mine went in the opposite direction. I wanted to hit someone. I wanted justice for
those who were unable to fight for themselves. I wanted someone to pay.

"
Settle down," Mark said, coming over to place his hand on my shoulder while I rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet. My agitation radiated through me and I fought the urge to lash out at him, knowing I could break the hand on my shoulder if I wanted to. I tamped my anger back and stepped away from him.

"
Ready?" I asked Sam, suddenly desperate to leave the house. I was happy for them, but at the moment, I wanted to hunt down the little boy's dad and show him what a real ass kicking looked like.

"
Sure," she said, sensing how volatile I was at the moment.

"
Be careful," Krista said, giving me the eye.

"
Always am," I lied, heading out.

Sam was silent as I put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway without bothering to look for oncoming traffic. I slammed my foot on the gas pedal, making the car buckle slightly under us before shifting into the gear I wanted. My small car raced down the road as I took each of the sharp curves with the precision of a race car driver. Driving came almost as naturally to me as fighting, and I felt in control as we rocketed through the night. I could tell Sam was nervous by the way her white knuckles gripped the dash, but she remained silent, letting me get my inner demons out. If Lynn would have been here
, she would have most likely cheered me on to go faster. That's why we were such good friends, we meshed well. I took the turn into the movie theater parking lot without slowing and felt the back end of the car fishtail as I finally applied the brake. Whipping the wheel around, I slid into a parking spot and killed the engine in one fluid movement. Sam and I were thrown against the seat belts with my abrupt stop, and I welcomed the pain as the seat belt bit into my shoulder and across my stomach.

"
Feel better now?" Sam finally huffed out.

"
Not really," I answered shortly, striding toward the ticket booth, but wishing now that I hadn't agreed to see a movie. I was in a piss poor mood that was guaranteed to ruin our night.

"
Chill, you're like a volcano waiting to erupt," she joked, trailing after me. "Jordyn, remember something. I know you can get fired up easily, but you've got to keep it in check for the sake of people around you. It's all good."

"
Two students for Zombie Island," I told the bored looking girl in the ticket booth who was chomping gum like it was her last meal.

"
Sixteen dollars," she said, blowing a bubble with the gum.

I handed over a twenty and was waiting for my change when I was knocked into from behind. Stumbling, I used the counter to keep from falling forward. I whirled around on the defensive to find a group of college football blockheads, judging by their brawn and cocky attitudes. They were too wrapped up in their rough housing to take notice of knocking into me and a young couple. None of them offered up an apology
, which relit the fuse on my temper.

"
Hey, watch it, dick," I said to the one that had knocked into me.

His friends hooted at my comment.
"Dude, you just got served by a chick," one of them crowed.

"
Sorry, sweetheart. Can I kiss something and make it better?" he asked, clearly showing off for his friends.

"
Is there a problem?" Sam asked, coming up to stand beside me.

"
Only problem, sweet stuff, is that you need to keep your friend here on a tighter leash," he replied, glaring at me. He stepped closer with his chest puffed up. The idiot was obviously used to being able to use intimidation to get his way.

"
I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding," Sam, the forever diplomat, said, holding up her hand.

I could see she was debating whether or not she needed to use her gifts to alleviate the situation.

"Fuck your misunderstanding," he said, taking a step closer.

"
Look, there's no reason to be a jerk," Sam said in a calm voice. It was evident now that she was trying to control the situation.

"
Maybe we can work it out," he said switching gears, making me think Sam's gifts were doing their job, but the confused look on Sam's face clued me that something wasn't quite right.

"
How about we go to my car?" he said, trailing the back of his hand deliberately across her chest.

Without thinking, my hand reached out and grasped his finger. Pushing it backward, I felt it snap in my hand, making the football jerk land on his knees at my feet.

"You stupid bitch, you broke my finger," he snarled, cradling his finger against his chest.

All sound around me evaporated, and in one fluid movement I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He tried to stand, but the more he fought, the more my grip tightened around his neck, cutting off his air supply.

"Just think how easy it would be for me to break your neck too," I breathed into his ear so only he could hear my threat. He grabbed at my arm with his good hand and I tightened my hold to the point that his face began to change colors. "You're seriously not tempting me, are you?" I asked. Unable to answer, his eyes began to bulge. "Next time you'll employ a few manners and show the world that you're not a complete dick, right?" I asked, finally loosening my hold. He dropped down in front me on all fours gasping for breath as he began to heave. I moved away from him as sound rushed again into my head, crowding my senses. I felt Sam pulling on me, and could hear the jock's friends talking excitedly.

"
Damn, did you see that shit?" I heard one of them ask as Sam dragged me around the corner of the building.

"
Jordyn, what the hell was that?" Sam screamed, clearly disgusted.

"
What? The guy was a freaking jerk!"

"
You can't just drop a guy like that without consequences. You were going to break his neck because he knocked into you and touched me. This isn't training. That wasn't some Daemon you were fighting there. That was a human. You know, people we're supposed to protect!" Sam said, shaking with shock. "I'm going to go do some damage control. You go to the car," she demanded, stomping away.

All my fury seemed to dissipate in a rush and suddenly I was the one having trouble breathing as I thought about what I had just done. Sam was right. I fought that guy much like I would have a Daemon. I
'd let my anger dictate my actions and compromised our family secret by doing so. Despair filled me, and I walked away from the side of the building, but instead of heading toward my car, I headed to the empty field behind the theater. I wanted to get away. I needed to get away.

The f
arther I walked from the theater, the easier it became for me to be able to breathe. Finally, I stopped in the middle of the open field and looked up at the stars, letting the rest of the adrenaline slowly seep from my body.

"
Out for a nighttime stroll, huh?" a voice asked behind me.

"
Emrys," I said, not turning around even though my pulse sped up into a high gear.

"
Where's your bodyguard?" he asked, stepping up close behind me.

"
I'm sure he'll be here soon," I answered, finally turning around and silently begging him with my eyes to keep his promise from earlier.

"
You want to get out of here?" he asked huskily.

"
Yes, please," I said as I heard Sam yelling my name behind me.

He held out his hand, and without hesitating, I reached out and grasped his hand just as Haniel appeared at my side.

"Jordyn, no!" he said, realizing he was too late.

Haniel, Sam, and the weeds around my ankles disappeared instantly and were replaced by a steel platform beneath me. Taking a moment to get my bearings, I turned around slowly, trying to figure out where we were. We seemed to be standing on top of some kind of structure. The breeze was crisp, causing me to shiver slightly, and I could hear the faint sounds of traffic below. I stepped closer to the edge to see if I recognized anything. Looking down, I gasped when I saw the ant-sized vehicles buzzing around from what seemed like miles away. Maybe it was the unexpected shock from realizing how high we were, but my head began to spin, and I swayed uncertainly on the edge of the metal platform.

"
Whoa, careful, Wonder Woman," Emrys said, gripping my hand and pulling me backward. "I'm pretty sure your superpowers don't include flying, right?" he added.

"
Where are we?" I asked, sitting down to ease some of my dizziness.

"
On the top of the Empire State Building," he said, sitting next to me.

"
Seriously?" I shivered again, but more from his close proximity than the actual chill in the air.

"
Cold?" he asked.

"
A little," I said, not wanting him to know my shivers were because of him.

"
Here," he said, shrugging out of his trademark leather coat.

"
Won't you be cold?" I asked as I slid my arms into the cool sleeves of the jacket. It was weird that no heat remained from his body. It felt more like the jacket had been hanging in a closet. Regardless, it did the trick and immediately started to warm me.

"
How soon before my warden shows up?" I asked, trying not to think about how good it felt to be wrapped up in his jacket.

He laughed long and hard before answering.
"Longer than you'd think."

"
What do you mean?" I asked, wondering what I was missing.

"
Just put it this way: Haniel will have a hard time finding us with the shield I've employed."

"
I hate to break it to you, Trader, but he's kind of got a direct line with The Light. He can find anyone."

"
The Light is only helpful when he chooses to be. You'd be surprised how often your little protector spends cooling his heels waiting for his boss to give him the time of day."

I mulled over his words, knowing he had a point. Haniel himself had mentioned on more than one occasion that he needed to seek an audience with The Light.

"So, this is your favorite place?" I asked, changing the subject. The view from the metal catwalk where we were perched was truly spectacular.

"
Well, not the actual catwalk, but the location. Here, scoot closer to the edge," he said, tugging on my legs until they dangled off the edge like his. My heart raced as I peered down. I had never been up so high, and I couldn't decide if I was frightened or exhilarated. The headlights on the cars below looked like they belonged on some elaborate kid toy as they buzzed around. It's amazing how peaceful it all looked from this height. In a way, I kind of envied their lives. They woke up, went to work, went back home, slept, and started the whole process over again the next day. I'm sure a lot of them thought it was monotonous and boring, but to me, it had a comforting normalcy to it. Angels were something they heard about in church each Sunday, not a part of their everyday lives. I wondered how different my life would be if my aunt and uncle didn't have a direct line to heaven.

"
Penny for your thoughts," Emrys said, holding out an aged copper penny.

"
Does that corny line still work? Besides, I'm not sure they're even worth that," I said, reaching out to take the penny anyway. I cradled it in my hand, studying the date. "Nineteen fifty-two?" I inquired.

"
Good year," he said, leaning back on his hands.

"
I know, right? Poodle skirts, sock hops, milkshakes, and Mom's meatloaf," I retorted.

He shot me a crooked smile before answering.
"You sure are sarcastic for an angel."

"
Never said I was an angel," I snipped back.

"
Don't fool yourself, sweets, you're more angel than I am."

"
That's not saying much," I said. "You're like some grim reaper?"

"
Ouch," he answered, clutching where his heart would have been. "How dare you call me a grim reaper. I prefer 'soul man,'" he taunted, wagging his eyebrows at me.

"
Oh brother," I said, pointing into my mouth to gag myself. I took a swat at his arm, but he captured my hand in his.

My breath hitched in my throat, and my sarcastic attitude disintegrated in the thin air. Hand holding was a new experience for me. I tried to act indifferent as I leaned over, studying the endless lights below us. The temperature of Emrys
's hand was much like the jacket. I'm not sure why I had assumed it would be hot to the touch. Or maybe I did know why and just didn't want to admit it. My train of thought crashed and burned when he started tracing patterns on the back of my hand. I had to work hard to maintain a slow and steady breath.

"
So, the tat, what does it mean?" I asked, trying to ignore the nagging voice that was taunting me over why he'd brought me here in the first place.

His finger stalled.
"Nothing really. It's just something from my human days," he finally answered after several minutes had passed. I was beginning to think I had entered into some "no visitors allowed" part of his mind. I fidgeted uncomfortably, fighting the sudden urge to snatch my hand away.

"
You remember being human?" I asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

"
Vividly," he said, laughing harshly.

"
Was it that bad?" I pressed on, ignoring the "do not enter" sign he all but had hanging around his neck.

"
Bad? No. For the most part, it was good. It didn't get bad until the end," he said, making it clear the subject was closed.

The sting of his rejection made me recoil.
"Fine," I snapped, yanking my hand from his. "You can take me home now," I added, rising.

"
Hey, don't get all twisted, babe. I just find talking about you to be more enlightening," he said, tugging me back down.

"
Are you just fucking with me?" I asked, going for the shock factor to cover my confusion over his intense interest in me.

"
Sweetheart, you'd definitely know if I was doing that," he drawled.

"
What do you want from me then?" I asked, ignoring his innuendo.

"
What makes you so sure I want something?" he asked as he resumed drawing the intricate pattern on my hand.

This time it was my turn to laugh harshly.
"Let me tell you something. This whole mysterious cool act you're going for is starting to teeter awfully close to the creeper line. Besides, everyone wants something from me. I'm not a freaking idiot, so spill it. You got me here where you wanted me—all alone," I said, indicating our isolated location.

"
Does there have to be a reason? You intrigued me. From the moment I saw you kick the living shit out of those Daemons I knew I wanted to get to know you better."

"
Really? And you decided that from knowing me all of ten minutes?" I asked, pulling my hand from his. "You can cut the bullshit."

"
Jordyn, you intrigue me, that's all," he said again.

"
Intrigue how? Like some science experiment gone wrong that you can't help looking at with morbid fascination?"

He laughed.
"Boy, talk about some serious paranoia."

"
Why? Because I'm not falling for your horseshit? Haniel says you're dangerous and he hasn't lied to me yet."

"
You don't think I'm dangerous," he said matter-of-factly.

"
Oh, so you can read minds, too?" I asked sarcastically.

"
Hey, peace, baby, peace. I'm not looking for a rumble," he said, holding his hands up. "Is this okay?" he asked, grinning devilishly as he slung his arm over my shoulder.

"
Damn right you're not," I muttered, leaning back into his embrace.

He mumbled something in protest, but I didn
't quite catch it. I was tempted to ask him to repeat it, but I figured I'd dealt with my fair share of drama tonight. Shit was going to hit the roof when I got home anyway, so this brief interlude could be the only break I'd have. Emrys seemed to sense my mood and lapsed into silence. I wasn't sure how long we sat there. Time seemed to bend back on itself as all the vehicles and lights below entranced me. I could have stayed there all night. It was easy to see why this was his favorite spot. Only when my butt became numb did I finally acknowledge the passing time.

"
I should go home," I said, sighing resignedly.

"
You don't have to," he enticed.

"
I need to face the music. I'm sure Haniel, not to mention my aunt and uncle, are going apeshit by now."

"
See, that's my point. If you're in trouble anyway, why rush home?"

"
You really are evil," I said, elbowing him in his ribs as I stood up.

"
Do you believe that?" he asked, standing also. His teasing was now gone as he studied me intently.

"
Does it matter?" I asked.

"
To me it does," he said quietly before grasping my hand in his.

The catwalk disappeared beneath our feet and was replaced by the beach. Emrys let go of my hand as soon as my feet sank into the sand. Opening my eyes, I saw I was alone with the waves that crashed against the bluff near my house.

"Emrys?" I said, spinning around, searching for the Trader who had been with me just moments before. "Damn, no reason to go away mad," I said to the empty beach. "You forgot your jacket," I added, hoping to entice him back out.

I waited several more moments to see if he
'd return, but finally gave up when I realized he wasn't coming back, at least right now. Trudging through the sand, I headed toward my house with trepidation. This wasn't going to be pretty.

I stepped through the patio doors to an overflowing family room. Seven pairs of eyes pivoted around at my entrance, all staring in dead silence
.
Shit, nothing like calling in the cavalry
,
I couldn't help thinking bitterly as my eyes scanned the room.

Any further thoughts were pushed aside as a small dark
-haired torpedo hit me at top speed, nearly knocking me over. "Lynn?" I said, shocked to see her as she wrapped her arms around me.

"
Jordyn, don't ever do that to me again," Lynn admonished, holding me at arm's length.

Her scolding raised my hackles.
"You came all this way because I went on a date?" I asked, putting on an act like my actions were no big deal.

"
I thought we sai
d
n
o
being alone with the Soul Trader!" Krista said in a raised voice, taking in the leather jacket I was wearing.

I shrugged my shoulders, trying to hide my surprise over Krista
's anger. She was usually so even tempered.

"
Seriously? I'll be eighteen in two months, guys. When are you going to realize I'm practically an adult?"

"
When you don't act like a toddler by going off with a stranger," Mark said in an even tone that was more effective than Krista's shouting.

"
Oh god, it was no big deal. We just hung out," I said defensively, sinking down on the couch as all of them eyed me like some alien species.

"
Jordyn, you don't jus
t
hang ou
t
with Soul Traders. They always have a secret agenda," Krista said, sitting next to me.

"
Secret agenda? Come on, you've already told me they're here to collect souls. Obviously, mine is safe, right?" I asked.  "Besides, Emrys is different," I said stubbornly.

"
If by
different
, you mean
cunning
, you're dead on," Sam grumbled across the room. "I watched how he manipulated you, snatching you right in front of Haniel like that."

"
He didn't snatch me," I argued. "Haniel can tell you that," I said, looking at him for confirmation.

"
Correct. He did not snatch you. You went willingly," Haniel answered, not moving a muscle as he studied me intently.

Haniel
's judgmental stare was piercing. I drug my eyes from his and studied the floor instead, debating whether I should answer him. How could I sum up how Emrys made me feel to a bunch of angels? They didn't want to hear it. When I was with him, I felt daring, rebellious, and more importantly, free. I felt alive. My every movement over the last year had been scrutinized by the individuals in this room. At times I felt like nothing more than a lab rat to them. For just the briefest of moments tonight, Emrys helped me forget my status as an Anomaly.