Page 17

Kerry

I could tell something was wrong as soon as I saw Gemma’s face the next morning. She tried to hide it by keeping her head down, but I knew. Gigi and Chessie picked up on it, too, and gave her worried glances. Finally, class wound down, I nudged her arm with mine.

When she glanced up at me, the world narrowed down to two thoughts: I was gonna find out who had put that look in her eyes, then I was gonna hurt them.

I was gonna hurt them real bad.

The bell rang, and I sent Gigi and Chessie away while Gemma packed up.

“What happened?”

Oops. That came out way too aggressive.

“Nothing. I’m fine.” She shoved her notebook in her bag.

“Angel, I can see you’re not. Tell me what happened.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Ms. Weatherbee,” I called for reinforcements, “I need help. Gemma’s upset and I don’t know what to do.”

The teacher hurried over, concern all over her face, and asked what was wrong. Gemma shook her head and didn’t speak.

“Some bullies have been bothering her.” I stood up, too on edge to sit any longer. “Is that what this is, Gemma? Were they after you again?”

“Yes.” She kept her eyes on her shoes.

“It’s not your fault.” I crouched next to her desk. “You didn’t do nothing wrong, and you don’t deserve to be treated this way. And I won’t let it happen anymore.”

“Ms. Shepherd, I want you to go to the principal’s office and report this,” Ms. Weatherbee said. “Mr. Harker, would you walk with her?”

“It won’t do any good.” Gemma’s voice was thick and shaky. “I’ve reported things before and all that happened was a few days of detention for each of them.”

“Well, I’m involved now, Ms. Shepherd.” Ms. Weatherbee smiled. “I’ll contact both of your wardens and let them know where you’re headed.”

I knew Gemma was gonna be stubborn just by the set of her chin and her shoulders.

“This reaction is what he wants.” I covered one of her hands with mine. “He likes knowing you’re afraid of him. It feeds the animal in him. The best way to fight him is to either master your fear or hide it so deep he can’t see it.”

She turned her face away, her cheeks on fire.

“I’m not criticizing you, angel. I’m trying to give you advice. When I’m with you, I’ll take care of it, but I worry what might happen if you have to face him alone again.”

“I can take him down if I have to!” Her eyes flashed to mine, and I realized I’d insulted her.

“I know that. You took me down! And I seen you take Argaud down, too. But he’s hardly ever alone anymore, is he? He has his two pals with him all the time now. You’re lucky neither of them jumped in that night at the cottage. I know you can take care of yourself, but three-on-one aren’t the kind of odds I’d bet on.”

While she stewed, I stood and grabbed our bags, then held out my hand.

“By not reporting things, you’re as good as saying it’s okay. I’m asking you, please don’t let him get away with this.”

I was surprised that worked.

She put her palm in mine and let me pull her to her feet.

On the walk to the office, I kept hold of her hand so she couldn’t back out. Her skin was softer than anything I’d ever felt, and my thumb kept rubbing over her knuckles like it had a mind of its own. I made sure to be extra gentle. I’d already given her too many bruises, both inside and out. No way I’d ever give her another.

#

Ms. Chapman raised an eyebrow when we came into her office, but I ignored her, dumped our bags on the floor, and slumped into a chair.

“Tell her, Gemma.”

Whether it was my insistence or just because she knew she had to do it, she started talking, and it was hard for me to watch her face as she described the ways Argaud harassed her. He tripped her in the halls, trashed her locker, stalked her around campus, tormented her in class, and embarrassed her with crude comments.

“If Kerry’s around, he leaves me alone,” she finished.

Ms. Chapman looked at me, and I shrugged.

“I’m always gonna step in when he and his two buddies go after her. I wish I could have done it when they first started. Maybe they woulda gotten the message faster. But they won’t get away with it anymore.”

There was a quiet knock, then Hank and that healer friend of his, August Richter, came in the office. I had more important things on my mind, though, and turned back to Gemma.

“So what happened yesterday?”

She bowed her head. I could tell she wasn’t going to volunteer anything, so I slid outta my seat and knelt in front of her.

“Tell me. What did he do?”

“I can’t!”

She sniffed a little and reached in her pocket for a tissue, and I waited until she wiped her nose.

“Why not?”

“Because you’ll kill him!”

I clenched my hands. Reilly Argaud musta done something really bad if she thought I’d hunt him down. While putting him in the ground did sound like a good idea, I couldn’t have her so worried about it that she wouldn’t tell Ms. Chapman what happened.

“If you don’t want me to, I won’t.” I tried to look sincere as I said it, too.

“Yes, you will.”

How does she already know me well enough to tell when I’m lying?

“Then I promise. Okay? I swear I won’t kill Reilly Argaud.” I leaned closer and whispered, “I hate that he’s hurting you, angel. Tell this woman what she needs to know to make him stop, and I’ll keep my word.”

Gemma’s pretty eyes were bloodshot and shiny with tears, but they held mine. Finally, she took a deep breath.

“Yesterday, he found me as I was walking back from mission skills. He grabbed me. He grabbed me and then he— Then he threatened to do terrible things to me.”

She broke down, and I stroked her soft hair with one hand, careful to not pull a single strand.

“How did he grab you?” Ms. Chapman asked. “Can you describe it better?”

Gemma slowly stammered out the details of how Argaud had taken her by the arm and thrown her against the side of the building, then pressed himself against her. It had happened so fast, she said she couldn’t think at first, then she’d screamed, hit him with her power, and made a run for it.

By the time she finished speaking, her whole body shook. I wasn’t much better. Hank moved to stand beside me, and I wondered if he thought I was gonna erupt.

And what would he do if I did?

“You said he pressed himself against you. What exactly did he do?” Ms. Chapman asked.

“Does she really need to go into that much detail, Helene?” August sat in my chair.

“Yes, she does. I need to know the facts.”

Gemma’s cheeks went bright red, and something told me I was about to need every measure of self-control I could scrounge up.

“What, Gemma?” I demanded. “What did he do?”

“He pushed himself against my hip and ….” Her voice died out.

“And?”

“He asked me if I could feel his— Feel his—” Her whole body shuddered. “I can’t say it with everyone in the room.”

I rocketed to my feet.

“His…” I quickly changed the word I was gonna use and said, “ privates ? He rubbed his privates on you?”

My power-laden voice sent a shock wave through the room. Plaques bounced against the wall, picture frames skittered across Ms. Chapman’s desk, and a few books fell from her bookshelf.

Gemma dropped her head into her hands with a little noise of hurt—and something woke up inside me.

Something dark and savage.

I promised her I wouldn’t kill him. I promised her!

Promises, sneered the dark thing. Promises mean nothing. Empty words.

No. Not anymore. Any promises I give her, I’m gonna keep. No matter the cost.

You didn’t promise not to punish him, the monster said. Show him what his lungs look like.

“Kerry. Look at Gemma,” Hank’s voice broke through the rage. “Look at her. Is it going to help her if you lose it right here and now? Take a deep breath.”

My breathing was shallow and sharp, so I inhaled long and slow. Gemma sobbed on August’s shoulder, and I was surprised by the deep want for it to be me she clung to and my shirt she slimed up.

Well, she sure can’t cling to you while you’re spiked up. Not that she ever would, anyway.

Not only was I spiked up, my hands were full of white-blue flames, and I could feel power crackling through my hair, which meant it was standing on end.

“Hank?” Ms. Chapman snapped.

“He’s stressed, but he’s in control. Aren’t you, Kerry?”

I swiveled my eyes to meet his and found them hard and cold, proof that he was as pissed as I was.

With real effort, I shook off the spikes and pulled the power back into my core. The fury didn’t go anywhere, but if Hank could hide his, I could hide mine.

“I’m good,” I grumbled.

“Let’s wait outside while Gemma finishes up,” he suggested.

I coulda stroked her hair again or patted her shoulder like August was doing. I coulda said something comforting or at least let her know I’d wait for her. I coulda done a lot of things that mighta helped her or eased her pain.

But I didn’t.

I just followed Hank out the door.

#

Gemma was quiet as we walked to the cafeteria. Hank and I waited with her until Jax and Gigi came along. While the girls chatted, I took Jax aside and asked if he knew what Argaud had done.

“No! What happened?”

I explained quickly and quietly, and he was pissed.

“We need to do something about him,” he said through his teeth.

“Agreed. I have some ideas.”

“Your eyes are glowing,” he warned me, “and Hank’s watching you very closely.”

“I know, but don’t worry. I won’t kill Arguad. I promised her.”

“Oh. Okay. Good.” Jax raised his eyebrows. “Glad you promised. That’s going to hold you back, I’m sure.”

“It will. Besides, you’d be amazed at what you can live through.”

We talked for another minute or two, then he said he’d make sure Gemma got to the counselors after lunch. I didn’t like leaving her, but I couldn’t be trusted to eat lunch with them and not smash someone’s face in over something dumb.

Besides, I needed to crash. I’d called up a stupid amount of power in Ms. Chapman’s office, then had to use a stupid amount of energy to keep it controlled. Now my body was calling me on it.

Life had been so much easier when I could just cut loose whenever and however I wanted to.

Shuffling over to Gemma, I asked her if she was okay.

You moron. Of course she isn’t okay. She’s a sweet, innocent girl who was groped and threatened, then had to relive it to report it.

My brain wasn’t up to anything more intelligent, though. The world was blurring around the edges and I knew if I didn’t leave soon, Hank was gonna end up carrying me home.

“I’ll be fine,” she said.

But she didn’t smile, and I hated that.