He moved faster than Id thought possible for a human body. One second he was three feet away, at proper threatening distance. The next, he had one hand around my throat. He slammed me into a support beam beneath the bleachers, and the blow reverberated down my spine in echoing waves of pain. My mouth fell open and I tried to drag in a shocked breath, but no air came. It couldnt get past his fist squeezing my airway shut.
You will give me what I want, Avari said into my ear with Marcos voice. Or I will destroy what you treasure most.
My heart pounded almost painfully while my back throbbed, and it took me a second to realize that my fear was remembered fear, virtually irrelevant to my current predicament. I didnt need to breathe. Sure, I couldnt talk with his hand around my throat, but I wasnt going to suffocate, either.
Remembering that helped me push fear back again, even farther this time, and anger roared in to take its place.
And frankly, Miss Cavanaugh, every time we meet like this I am less and less inclined to leave you unbruised. Standing here, touching you with this borrowedbut very realhand it occurs to me that not all of my corrupt pleasures have to wait for your arrival in the Nether.
And suddenly my fear was back, and very relevant to the situation. I could blink out anytime I wanted, but if he was touching me, hed come with me.
Ive never truly understood the human fondness for nude rutting and the eager exchange of bodily fluids. He stared down into my eyes, studying my panic while I clawed at his hand, but I saw nothing of Marco in Avaris expression. I saw only hellion, and the dramatically dilated pupils that told me he was feeding from my fear. He was nearly drunk on it. But this borrowed body seems willing, and youre clearly terrified by the prospect of such an encounter. And naturally, fear makes you taste so much better.... He leaned toward my neck and inhaled, and my stomach churned, though I hadnt eaten much in days.
Avari stepped back without letting go of my neck, and his gaze assessed me with almost clinical detachment. Its the strangest thing. I dont understand what all the fuss is about, but every time I borrow a human form, my sense of touch is... Well, its exaggerated. Sensitive. You mortals feel everything so intensely. Is it the same for you, or is this a trait exclusive to the human male?
His free handMarcos handslid down the side of my arm, and his pupils dilated even farther when my nails broke through the skin on his arm. I made a quick wish for luck, then threw my knee up into his groin, as fast and hard as I could.
Avari yelped, and it was the most satisfying sound Id ever heard. His hand fell away from my throat, and he hunched over the hopefully paralyzing pain.
That is a trait exclusive to the human male.
Tod laughed out loud, and I looked up just as he appeared behind the demon in stolen flesh. He swung something with both hands, hard enough that the muscles in his arms stood out against his skin, and his weapon slammed into Marcos head with a dull thunk. Marcos legs folded, and he collapsed on the gym floor.
Tod stood behind him, holding Emmas three-inch-thick chemistry book. You know, next time you text to tell me you may need help, I could get here a lot faster if you also tell me where you are. Im a reaper, not a necromancer. Am I going to have to have you fitted with a GPS chip?
Sorry. I didnt know where Id be. I glanced at poor Marco, thoroughly unconscious and probably in a lot of pain, then stepped over him and threw my arms around Tod. And thank you. Howd you find me?
I tried about eight different places, then I found Luca. He said it felt like you were in the gym.
As a necromancer, Luca was like a compass for all things dead but not yet decaying. Including reapers. And me.
Tod let me go and ran one hand through his short curls, and the blue-eyed gaze that met mine was intense. Scared. And kinda...angry. You have to stop doing this, Kaylee. Youre dead, not invincible. Reclaiming souls when Madeline sends backup is one thing. Thats your job. I get that. But you cant just go around confronting hellions on your own. Even in a human body theyre dangerous. Especially when that human body is bigger than yours, and theyre all bigger than yours.
The fear in his voice made my chest ache. I didnt know he was possessed. And anyway, I can handle myself. See? I made a sweeping gesture toward Marcos unconscious form. Now he knows that being a teenage guy isnt all getting high and threatening girls.
Yeah, and that was awesome, even if I cant help but sympathize with the pain hes going to be in when he wakes up. But Avari will be ready for that next time. One of these days youre going to get in too deep, and Im not going to get there fast enough, and...bad things are going to happen, and that will kill me more than my actual death did.
I think I was born in too deep, and bad things happen every day. Sometimes I have to stab hellions. Sometimes I have to frame friends for murder, and stab evil math teachers, and watch my best friend die. Again. We deal with it, then we move on.
I think I was born in too deep, and bad things happen every day. Sometimes I have to stab hellions. Sometimes I have to frame friends for murder, and stab evil math teachers, and watch my best friend die. Again. We deal with it, then we move on.
Well, maybe next time you could let the bad things find you, instead of searching them out for yourself. Or take someone with you. I know Nash isnt as much fun to look at, but hed be decent backup, and even with a broken arm, Sabines a force to be reckoned with.
But Im not?
Thats not what Im saying. I think the evidence speaks for itself. He glanced pointedly at Marco, still unconscious on the floor. But six hands are better than two. Especially when my hands arent close enough to get to you.
Theyre close enough now... I pulled him toward me, and I could see that he was trying to resist a smile. To stay mad, to emphasize his point.
Thats not gonna work.
I went up on my toes to kiss him, and he groaned. Do you really think this is appropriate on school grounds?
Nope. I wrapped my arms around his neck. And I happen to know there isnt an appropriate thought running through your head right now.
Or any other time. Tod pulled me close and held me so tight my ribs almost hurt, but I didnt want him to let go. Ever. Just promise me youll be more careful.
I promise.
So... Tod tried on a grin, and I bent to pick up Ems textbook from where hed dropped it. What did Tall, Dark, and Evil want?
The usual. Devour my soul. Mutilate my corpse. Dissect my psyche. Just another day in the most dangerous high school in the country. Of its size. I nudged Marcos arm with my foot. Can you help me get him to the nurse? Hes going to wake up with several unexplained injuries, and I dont want to be in the room when he starts asking questions.
That night, Tod, my dad, and I made a conscious effort to keep our own emotions in check, so we wouldnt accidentally trigger Emmas as-yet-uncontrollable syphon ability. Which wasnt so much an ability at that point as a constant trial.
I think we did pretty well. Until around ten-thirty, when Em was doing homework on her bed and Tod and I were stretched out on my bed, not doing my homework. After about ten minutes of what I would categorize as PG-rated not-quite-adult content, she threw a balled-up pair of socks at us and said if we didnt go away she would jump my boyfriend herself.
Evidently we werent very good at keeping those emotions in check. And since I did not want my best friend syphoning anything quite that intimate, we took the party to Tods place.
Tuesday morning, Emma was in much better spirits. We picked up coffee on the way to school and met Nash and Sabine in one corner of the cafeteria, as far from the breakfast eaters as we could get.
Here. I passed out lattes, and Em snatched a napkin dispenser from an empty table.
Whats the occasion? Sabine looked suspicious. I couldnt blame her. Wed reached an understandingshe could have Nash, and I could never again touch him, for any reason whatsoever, so long as we both shall live. Which isnt as bad as it sounds. Nash and I had made serious strides toward actual friendship, which was more than I could say for him and his brother. Sabine and I would never be like sisters, but we had definitely reached something akin to friendship.
And that was good, considering that the alternative always seemed to involve her trying to kill me, with little regard for the fact that I was already dead.
I need some information. I took the lid off my cup and blew over the top of my latte. From Nash.
Whats up? He dumped a packet of sugar into his open cup, then realized he had nothing to stir with.
I need you to make a list of everyone you know who tried frost, back when Doug was, um, distributing to your teammates.
Emma flinched at the mention of her ex, and I felt guilty all over again. Both of her most recent boyfriends had died because of me and my otherworldly complications.
I dont have a list. Nash scowled at the powder that refused to mix with the foam on top of his coffee. In fact, I dont know a single name for sure. I didnt even know Doug was using, until that party. The night he hit your car.
You dont have a single name? Seriously? Not even an educated guess?
He shrugged and put the lid back on his cup. I can tell you who I saw him with at that last party, when his dealer showed up.
Was Marco Gutierrez one of them?
Yeah.
Good enough. I pulled a notepad from my bag and pushed it across the table toward him. Em added a pen. Write down all you can remember. Please.
Is this about what happened with Marco yesterday? Sabine sipped from her cup while Nash scribbled on the notepad.
Yeah. He was just possessed, so it was pretty easy to get rid of Avari, but Id like to avoid a repetition. Or at least see it coming ahead of time.
So, where do we stand with Sophie and the liquid envy? Em cradled her cup in both hands.
Sabines smile looked almost euphoric. Which kinda scared me. I gave her the first dose this morning, in her coffee. Had to dump in extra sugar to cover the taste.