Page 23

Kerry

Argaud was back. Before I even walked into the math classroom, I could smell his brand of evil.

Why don’t any of the teachers and wardens pick up on that?

I thought for sure those who ran a school designed to train nephs about the Diabolical would be on the lookout for it under their very noses.

Nah, of course not . When you’re comfortable and feel secure, you don’t expect it to be under your nose. What they teach is meant for ‘out there,’ not ‘right here.’ There’s probably a word for it, but I’ll use over-confident for now.

And, to be fair, it is very faint.

My thoughts were interrupted when Gemma came to such a quick stop in front of me, I cannoned into her. I grabbed her shoulders to keep us both on our feet, but when I woulda stepped back, she latched onto my wrists.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

When she shook her head, I bent down and repeated my question in her ear.

“Reilly’s back from suspension,” she whispered and dropped her hands. “It surprised me, that’s all.”

Over her head, I met Argaud’s eyes.

Try something. Oh, please try something.

He looked away, which was disappointing.

“It’ll be fine.” I took her hand and tugged her along to seats at the back of the room. “You know to be on your guard around him. Plus, I’m here.”

I couldn’t tell you a thing Mr. Hall said during that hour. All my focus was on Argaud. No way he’d get by me. No way he’d ever hurt her again.

It wasn’t until Gemma started packing up that I realized class was over.

“Kerry? You all right?”

“I’m good, angel.” I grabbed the end of her long braid and tugged it gently. “You ready?”

“Yep!”

As we left the classroom, power flew out of nowhere, and a line of fire ran across my belly. I dropped my backpack, wrapped an arm around Gemma’s waist, and tossed her behind me. Ignoring her squawk, I threw up a shield.

I knew that power. I’d felt it half a dozen times that night at the cottage when Argaud had tortured me. I was helpless to retaliate then, but he was about to find out I wasn’t helpless anymore.

As some of the other students clued in, a circle began to form around me, but I was busy scanning the hall. The enemy was close. I could smell him, and if I didn’t calm down, this was gonna get bloody. Before rage clouded my mind any further, I got an idea.

“Gemma, can you make someone calm?”

“Of course. Who do you—”

“Me, idiot!”

“Wanna go a round, demon taint?” Argaud called.

Ah. There he was, pushing other students out of his way as he stalked forward.

“Love to,” I growled.

Where are the teachers? Or Hank? He usually knows when I’m in trouble or about to be.

I wouldn’t have much time if Gemma didn’t hurry up. Thankfully, she didn’t ask for an explanation or argue. Cool fingers brushed the back of my neck and a shower of golden sparks fell around me. Each one stung like a bee, but I could think beyond tearing his arms off.

“Oh, I’ve been waiting for this,” he taunted and raised one hand.

He was strong. I had to admit it. What he threw at me would have been painful if it’d hit me. My shield was stronger, though.

“Waiting to make a fool of yourself?” My grin widened as I spiked up with power. “But you do that every day all by your lonesome.”

He roared, and power crashed against my shield so hard, it pushed me back a step and I knocked into Gemma. Snarling, I shoved my shield forward and pushed him back a yard or more.

I couldn’t kill him, but I could hurt him.

Slipping my hand around my shield, I flicked my fingers. The blow hit him right in the gut, and he flew down the hall about twenty feet before slamming into the wall with bone-breaking force.

“Kerry?” Gemma moved around me, her eyes wide as she looked up at me.

“ He started it!” I held up my hands and dropped the spikes at the same time. “He hit me as soon as we stepped into the hall! But I kept my promise. I didn’t kill him.”

He wouldn’t be walking anywhere anytime soon, but she didn’t need to know that. And she sure wasn’t gonna go over there and heal him.

Then my eyes caught a flash of red on her shirt. I grabbed her arms and turned her toward me.

Blood.

That was a smear of blood.

Her blood.

“How bad are you hurt?” My stomach rolled and bile filled my mouth.

“It’s nothing.” She waved one hand.

“ How bad? ”

“I stuck the palm of my hand, that’s all.”

“When I bumped into you? Was it one of my spikes?”

“Stop fussing. I’ve had worse splinters.”

A tidal wave of guilt hit me.

“You wait here,” I growled.

Disgusted with myself, I walked over to where Argaud slumped against the wall. His eyes were unfocused, and he was as pale as bone.

“I promised I’d teach you a few new ways to hurt someone. That was lesson number one. For what you did to Gemma, I still owe you lesson number two.” I crouched down about a foot away from him. “Stay away from both of us from here on out because if you screw up again, I can guarantee you won’t survive lesson three.”

I went back to Gemma. Without thinking, I slipped one arm around her trembling shoulders and was shocked when she turned into me and hugged my waist. I’d half-convinced myself she would hate me or at least yell at me after I hurt her, even if it was an accident. Instead, she squeezed me hard. Her arm was tight around my wound, and I hid a grimace. It was only pain. It didn’t matter, but her holding onto me did.

I didn’t have great control by then, so I had no idea what showed on my face, but everyone got out of the way as I moved us down the hallway. I stopped long enough to grab the strap of my backpack, then half-carried, half-led her outta there.

“You didn’t kill him,” she mumbled into my chest as we walked out the door.

“I promised you I wouldn’t. Although I should have. He’s a rabid dog. He needs to be put down.”

“Anyone can be saved.” Her fingers fisted up in my shirt. “Only corpses can’t be redeemed.”

“I have to disagree on that one, angel.”

“Okay. Kerry?”

“Yeah?”

“Where are we going?”

“I dunno. It’s lunch time. Wanna get something to eat?”

“Okay. Kerry?”

“Yeah?”

“Is your shirt wet?”

“I told you Argaud hit me with his power.”

“And what? It involved water? You’re sweating?” She looked up at me with confusion, and I snorted out a laugh.

“It’s blood, idiot.”

“You’re bleeding ?!”

She flew into action, grabbing my shirt-tail and yanking it up, and the calm she gave me broke under the weight of my panic.

“Hey! Stop that!” I tried to twist away while fighting her hands.

“I need to see.” Looking determined, she worked on the bottom button.

“Gemma, you can’t strip Kerry here.” I glanced over to see Jax there with Gigi under his arm. “We’re in public!”

Where did they come from?!

“He’s injured and won’t let me see,” she said while our fingers wrestled over the button.

Both of our hands were slick with blood and that seemed to sober everyone up. Gigi gasped and turned away, her hand over her mouth.

“Let her see, Kerry,” Jax said.

“It’s nothing! It doesn’t even hurt!”

“What happened?”

While I was distracted by telling the tale of our run-in with Argaud, Gemma got in a sneak attack and opened two buttons. I grabbed her forearms and squeezed a little to drive home how serious I was, but was very careful not to hurt her.

“You can see that far and no more.” My patience was nearly all used up.

“This is enough.” She lowered her eyes to my stomach. “Oh, my goodness.”

I glanced down to see a bloody slice about ten inches long. The skin around it was red and raw and deep, but not so much for anything to be poking out.

Like I said, it’s nothing. What is she so upset about?

“It doesn’t even hurt?” Jax repeated.

I shrugged, not too worried about it. I was more interested in the fact that she was touching my bare skin and I wasn’t bothered by it.

She put her thumb on one end of the wound. Her power ran through my belly and gave me goosebumps as the skin healed. Then her little fingers tested the new skin and that caused more goosebumps as my insides twisted for an entirely different reason.

“What happened here?” She skimmed her index finger over the thick white scar above my hip bone.

“I didn’t always just watch the Diabolical games I told you about.” I yanked my shirt closed and moved away, memories biting at me.

“I’m sorry.” Her face turned red.

“How about lunch at my place?” I didn’t wanna hurt her feelings or embarrass her, but I needed to change the subject. Fast. “I need a new shirt and there’s plenty to eat.”

“Sure!” Jax grinned.

#

“Uh, Gemma?” I slumped in my chair. “I think I’m gonna stay home the rest of the day.”

I was tired and cranky as the effects of the calm wore off and I lost the rush.

After we got to the cottage, I changed shirts, then wolfed down sandwich after sandwich. Gemma and Gigi both talked me up for asking for help when I’d felt my control begin to slip. I changed the subject by bringing up Argaud’s smell, and Jax said to tell Hank.

Now, with my stomach full, all I could think of was a nap. With a huge yawn, I stretched my arms, arched my back, and tried to keep my heavy eyelids open til they left.

“Do you think it’s safe for her to go back to school with Reilly running around?” Gigi sounded worried.

“I can take care of myself.” Gemma sounded angry. “And don’t talk about me like I’m not here.”

“Your power is all defensive,” Jax pointed out.

“Argaud’s too hurt to do anything today.” I tried to think despite my mind shutting down. “But what would you do if he hit you with power like that?”

“I can absorb a lot of damage.” She lifted her chin.

“Absorb a lot of damage?” She seemed to be speaking a foreign language, one I couldn’t make out.

My eyelids finally closed and stayed that way. From far away, I heard her say we should wrap up lunch so I could go to bed for a couple of hours.

Absorb a lot of—

My eyes shooting open, I rocketed to my feet, slammed my hands flat on the table, and leaned across it until my nose almost touched hers.

“You do not stand toe-to-toe with a freaking warrior and ‘absorb a lot of damage,’ you idiot!” I snarled. “Don’t even try that! You put him to sleep, you get help, or you run. Do you hear me?”

She pushed her bottom lip out, scrunched up her eyebrows, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I. Said. Do. You. Hear. Me?” I bit off each word, and my voice dropped to a rumble that vibrated the silverware on the table.

“I hear you!” she half-shouted. “You just think I’m weak!”

“No, I don’t!” I was too exhausted to be anything more than blunt. “You have a thousand strengths, but fighting a warrior ain’t one of them. And taking hit after hit after hit just to prove something is crazy. When you’re in a fight, your whole objective is to not get hit while hitting the other person.”

My control was garbage and I knew it, but I forced myself to speak softer.

“Look, I can drag myself back to class, but I’m tired. It takes a lot of energy to keep myself under control. I ain’t thinking too good. I still really wanna find Argaud and finish what he started. I’m afraid I’ll do something stupid, but I’ll risk it if it keeps you outta trouble.”

“No.” She shook her head. “You need to sleep. I’ll be fine.”

“Promise,” I demanded. “Promise you’ll behave and do what I said if something happens.”

“Okay, okay.” She threw up her hands. “I promise. Now let’s get you into bed.”

“Whoa, Gemma!” Jax’s grin nearly split his face. “First, you try to strip him in public. Now, you’re shuffling him off to bed. Is there something you two want to tell us?”

“Shut up, Jax!” we said at the same time.