Page 8

8. Don’t Trust Me Too Far

Kerry

“Nobody is going to help you now, demon taint. You’re at our mercy.”

“Let me outta here,” I taunted back, “and we’ll see who begs for mercy.”

The leader of the three, a blond warrior, wound up and pitched another ball of power at me. I caught it on my forearm and bit off a hiss of pain. That one cut deep, but it seemed to annoy him that I didn’t make a sound as he hit me again and again.

Unfortunately, annoying him was the only weapon I had at the moment.

“Not impressed.” I kept my voice low and even. “Don’t you know any other ways to hurt someone? When I get outta here, I’ll be glad to teach you boys a few new ones.”

“Even after you’re exorcized and released, you’ll never be clean again,” said one of Blondie’s boys. “Hell is all you have to look forward to now, demon taint.”

Dropping my eyes, I curled my hands up tight and watched my blood splatter on the floor. They didn’t know I was already exorcized, but they were right about the other part.

“Well, well, well,” Blondie chuckled. “It looks like the night just got a whole lot more entertaining, boys.”

I looked out the window to see what he meant and nearly had a heart attack. The angel stood at the top of the garden path.

No, no, no! Go back!

Don’t come down here!

She started to run toward us, and I slammed my fist through a small table next to the window. Wood bits flew in a shower around me, and a vase of fake flowers bounced off my bicep and shot past my face.

What is she thinking?! She’s so small, she’s just gonna get hurt. And where’s Hank? He should be back by now!

I fought against the wards holding me inside, but didn’t get any further than I had for weeks. I tried to call up my power, but it was as silent as it had been since day one in this prison. I picked up the vase and hurled it out the window, aiming for Blondie’s head, but it bounced off the wards and hit me on the arm again.

I was one of the most feared nephs in New York City. People tripped over themselves to get out of my way when I was in a bad mood. Nobody messed with me because doing so was a death sentence, and yet here I stood, powerless against a pissant bully five feet away.

Until that moment, I’d thought I understood torture. What it was. How to give it. How to take it. I’d certainly delivered and received more than my fair share over the years and considered myself an expert.

Now, watching her standing toe-to-toe with Blondie, I realized I knew nothing about torture.

Not one freaking thing.

But I was about to learn.

#

Gemma

Oh, goody. These three boys. Of course it was.

“Stop it!” I skidded to a stop between them and the cottage. “Get away from him! Leave him alone!”

“You’re protecting the demon taint?” Reilly hooted with laughter. “I knew you were crazy when you gave me the cold shoulder, but I didn’t think you were a bleeding heart, too.”

“You don’t need a bleeding heart to know that three on one isn’t fair. Especially when the one happens to be locked up with his power shut down.” I glanced at the others. Whit, I was sure, would always follow Reilly’s lead, but Travis was a question mark. “Go away, Reilly, or you’ll regret it!”

“She’s only a healer.” Whit looked at Reilly and smirked. “What else can she do besides find someone to hide behind or scream for help?”

“You can’t begin to understand how much power I have, little toad,” I sneered, “but not even I can cure your rampant stupidity.”

Reilly had an evil glint in his eyes as he moved toward me.

“Don’t tell me you’re outta power already!” A deep voice called out from the open window at my back. “Sling some more at me, Blondie! I dare you!”

Is he— Is Kerry Harker trying to help me?

“You’re boring.” Reilly grinned as he tensed his shoulders, dropped his chin, and shifted his weight.

I was amazed that he would telegraph his moves so clearly and stunned that he was going to physically attack me rather than hurl power.

Then the smell of alcohol hit my nose.

Oh. That explained a lot. How many times had I heard Uncle Paul say, “People get dumb when they get drunk?”

Time slowed down.

My whole perspective of the world and my place in it had been knocked off kilter these last few weeks. Everything had changed, and I was still working to accept my new reality. But this? This was familiar. This was easy . This was every boy who walked into the dojo for the first time, saw a short girl as his practice partner, and sneered.

It was a dumb idea—even Uncle Paul could be beaten with one-on-one odds and I had three jerks to contend with—but I did have a few reasons for what I was about to do.

First, the bully boys here were too used to their victims accepting the abuse until a warden caught them or they grew bored. Second, even if they threw their very worst at me, I had a huge capacity for damage. And, third, maybe it would keep some other poor girl from becoming their target.

“Don’t do it.” Kerry Harker’s deep voice turned into a menacing rumble.

I couldn’t tell if he was warning the boys or me. Since we all ignored him, I guessed it didn’t matter.

When Reilly’s fist started heading for my face, I stopped thinking, ducked down in a half crouch, and felt a whoosh of air as he swung over my head.

Seriously?! He tried to suckerpunch me?

Angry now, I rocketed to my feet and rammed my head into his chin. His yelp spiraled into a high-pitched squeal as I socked him in the groin. I’d aimed for his stomach, but that was as high as I could get my knee.

Being five-foot-zero had its moments.

He doubled over with a harsh moan, and I pushed him onto his backside.

Whit was frozen while Travis looked at Reilly, then me, then back at Reilly.

“Take him and leave.” I lifted my chin.

That made Whit come out of his trance. Snarling, he took a step toward me, and I raised my fists. Adrenaline turned my heart into a wild bird slamming against cage bars as I prepared to blast him with power if he came any closer.

Travis had the most sense of all of us, though.

“Harker’s warden could come back any minute!” He grabbed one of Whit’s arms. “We need to get out of here.”

I stayed in a ready position until Whit blinked and went to help Travis. They hoisted Reilly between them and dragged him up the garden path. Relieved that they were going without any further idiocy, I finally dropped my guard.

Thank the Lord.

Shaking a little as the adrenaline faded, I turned toward the cottage—and Kerry Harker started yelling at me.

“What were you thinking, you little fool? You coulda been hurt! And for what? To protect me? I don’t want your pity! And you looked stupid with your hair flying around. Don’t you know long hair is a target in a fight? One good handful and it would have been over, idiot!”

Ouch.

I mean, I wasn’t looking for gratitude, but I hadn’t expected a verbal attack, either.

“Why won’t you leave me alone, anyway?” Wow. He could really bellow with that basement-deep voice. “You come here and bother me every day, screeching and yapping on and on about your pathetic life! Do you think I care? There’s no way a guy like me could care about a girl like you !”

Those words hit my chest like poisoned darts, and angry tears pricked my eyelids.

“Just stay away from me! You dummy, don’t you get it? I ain’t worth you getting hurt. I ain’t worth saving. I ain’t worth anything !”

“Don’t say that!” I balled up my hands into tight fists and took a step closer. “As long as you’re alive, you are worth saving. And you don’t have to make fun of me.”

“I ain’t m — ”

“Don’t you want out of there?” I cut him off. “I heard your warden tell mine that he’s happy with your progress. I think they could be convinced to release you, as long as you agree to come to school and abide by the rules like the rest of us.”

“Little girl, my roots reach down to Hell. What makes you think I have any interest in going to school or following rules? ’Sides, you ain’t got that much pull with your warden, let alone mine.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Wouldn’t you like to find out?”

He didn’t answer.

I waited a few moments, then spun on my heel and walked away.

He wasn’t going to let me help him, and he didn’t want me to visit him anymore. I hadn’t realized I’d been annoying him. I’d hoped I was comforting him, encouraging him. Now that I knew what he thought of me, though, I was mortified. His words hammered inside my skull over and over.

You looked stupid!

Your pathetic life!

There’s no way a guy like me could care about a girl like you !

I’d forgotten how much it hurt to be blindsided like this, even though I knew better. How many times had Uncle Paul warned me that the world wasn’t as idealistic as I was? But I never learned. I kept making the same mistake, which was part of how I now found myself declared dead in the human world and bound to the charity of the Sanctuary.

So maybe Kerry Harker was right. Maybe I was an idiot.

“So what would I owe you if you could get me outta here?” His sudden question surprised me enough to stop walking, but I didn’t turn around. “I mean, since we’re playing pretend. It’s not like I really believe you can do anything.”

I choked back the emotion crawling up my throat so I could answer him.

“I want you to promise me something. That’s all.”

“I’ve broken dozens of promises, angel. Hundreds.”

“You can’t break this one.” Did he just call me angel? “You’d have to keep it.”

“Or what? One of those motherf― Uh, freaks said you’re a healer .” He spat the word out, like it was an insult. “What can you do to me when I break it?”

“Don’t you mean if , Mr. Manners?”

“What?”

“ If you break it. Not when.”

Silence. Then, “Sure. If that’s what you wanna hear.”

“I won’t do anything if you break it.” I smiled. “You’re the one who’d have to live with knowing you didn’t keep your word. That would be on your conscience, not mine.”

“Don’t got one of those anymore, but I’m curious now. Let’s hear this promise.”

“Don’t hurt anyone here.”

“Yeah, right. Then I end up in the same situation I was just in. Nah, can’t promise that. I gotta be able to defend myself.”

“All right, I’ll modify it a bit. Don’t hurt anyone here at the Sanctuary unless you’re defending yourself or others.”

Granted, I wasn’t a master at riddles or finding loopholes—my mind doesn’t run toward deviousness—but he couldn’t interpret ‘defending’ too loosely, could he?

“Okay, I promise,” he said after a moment. “But there’s one thing you need to remember.”

“What’s that?”

“They put me in prison for a reason, angel. When something bad happens because you convinced the wardens to let me out, your conscience is not my problem. Understand?”

“Yeah, but it’s a moot point.” I shrugged. “Nothing bad’s going to happen because you’re going to keep your promise.”

“You really are an idiot.”

Well, didn’t that make me feel all kinds of wonderful? Without another word, I started the long walk back to the girls’ dormitory. I was almost at the top of the garden when he called me back.

“Why are you so determined to get me outta here?”

“Haven’t you already forfeited enough of your life?”

“If you mean the time I was possessed—”

“Not quite the same thing,” I shrugged, “but the healer in me believes freedom will do you far more good than solitary confinement.”

Because anything kept in the dark for too long rots, souls included.

I kept that sentiment to myself, though. It might hurt his feelings and, despite his harsh words to me, I’d never been into returning malice with malice. That attitude only made situations worse.

“And one little promise is all your freedom will cost you this time,” I said instead.

“That’s right,” he snapped. “All I owe you is a promise. I don’t know what your game is or what you want from me, but don’t try to play me or blackmail me into anything more.”

“I won’t. I’m not like that.”

“ I am,” he all but purred. “Don’t trust me too far, angel.”

“You don’t need to keep issuing all these warnings about how big and bad you are. I know what you were, better than anyone here. I’m far more interested in who you’ll become.”

That shut him up. He slammed the window closed and stalked out of sight—and a voice I didn’t recognize said, “Hello.”

Whirling around with my fists up, I saw a sandy-haired man step away from the cottage and into the moonlight.

“Who are you?” I demanded. “Hank Bishop.” He held out a hand. “Kerry’s warden.”

I relaxed and shook his hand automatically, then my brain turned on.

“Were you there this whole time?”

“I heard what you offered him and his promise in return.” One side of his mouth curled up. “How about I escort you back to your dorm? I believe we can come to an arrangement as we walk.”