My urgent tone spurs them on. I made it sound like their lives were in danger on purpose to get rid of them faster. There’s something I need to do tonight.
As soon as the cab departs, Soren turns to me. “So, what’s the plan, bro?”
“No plan. We’re going home.”
He narrows his eyes to slits. “Cut the bullshit, Stephan. I know Andy killed those bastards. Don’t you think I haven’t noticed how you’ve reacted every time we’ve come across a similar murder scene? I’m not stupid.”
“Fuck, Soren. Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“Because I was giving you the chance to deal with it on your own, but you clearly haven’t. She needs to stop playing the vengeful Idol who kills criminals. She’ll end up drawing the attention of the Neo Gods. What happens if they recruit her, huh?”
“She would never join them,” I snap, furious that Soren would even suggest such a thing. Andy has her flaws, but she’s not an Idol supremacist.
He holds up both hands in a sign of peace. “Sorry. You don’t need to bite my head off.”
I glance at the traffic, frustrated as hell. “You’re right. I should have done something about her destructive behavior sooner. She can’t continue down this path. I’m handling the situation though. Tonight.”
“Do you need help?”
Twisting my face into a scowl, I say, “No, I don’t need your help. I can handle her on my own.”
“Handle her.” He snorts. “Yeah, right. Is that the new code for sex?”
“Shut up.”
I don’t follow Soren inside the school building. The dorms are split by gender, and I don’t want to get caught in the security cameras going into the female side of the building after hours. Instead, I fly to Andy’s window to see if she’s home. The lights are off, but that doesn’t mean anything. She doesn’t need them. I wait, realizing how foolish my idea is. What am I going to do, simply knock on her window and ask her to let me in?
A flash of light illuminates a small portion of the living room. It’s Andy’s cell phone. She just received a message. I catch her walk over to the device before the light fades away. I can still make out her silhouette in the gloom.
She twists in my direction, then walks over to the window.
Busted.
She slides the glass panel open, coming under the moonlight. The silvery light emphasizes the grimace on her face. “What the hell are you doing here, Stephan?”
“You and I are due a conversation.”
“No, we’re not.” She begins to shut the window again, but I push her back with a gust of wind and fly in.
Her chains come out, brightening the room. “How dare you? Get out!”
“Did you kill those Fringes in the alley?” I get straight to the point.
Her lips become nothing but a slash on her face. “Why don’t you ask your Knight friend? She was there.”
“Daisy is not a Knight. She’s a student visiting from our sister school on the West Coast.”
She shrugs. “Whatever. Like I said, ask her.”
“I’m asking you!”
My outburst snaps something inside of her. Her eyes are shining with fury now.
“You bet your ass I did. There. You have my confession. Are you happy now?”
I stalk closer, not taming the raw power that’s brewing in the pit of my stomach. “No. I’m far from happy. What the hell are you doing with your life?”
She holds her ground, lifting her chin. “It’s my life, isn’t it? I can do whatever I want with it.”
“Even taint your soul beyond repair?”
“Taint my soul?” She laughs without humor. “You know nothing, Stephan. As usual. Those motherfuckers were scum. They deserved what they got.”
“Oh yeah? And what happens when you make the wrong call and end up killing someone innocent. What then?”
Her eyebrows twitch, drawing my attention to her eyes and the guilt that’s mixed with the anger. I take another step forward. “Andy, please. Tell me what’s going on. We don’t need to be a couple for you to trust me.”
She whirls around, hugging her middle. “You can’t help me, Stephan. If you’re smart, you’ll stay as far away from me as possible.”
Like a fool, I break the final distance between us and touch her shoulder. She tenses on the spot, but at least she doesn’t chop my hand off.
“I’m not smart. Not when it comes to you.” My voice is softer now, full of yearning. Nothing has changed for me. I’m still hopelessly in love with her.
She shudders. “Don’t say that. You’re only making things harder.”
I turn her so I can look at her face. “For who, Andy? Me or you?”
Her lips part, followed by a gasp. She’s staring at me as if she can see me for real, and I wonder if that’s happening again for her. Either way, the look in her eyes doesn’t say “Go away,” it says “Kiss me now.”
I cup her cheek and she leans into my caress. Fuck restraint. I kiss her without reservation, savoring her lips as if they were my last meal. She clutches my arms, matching my passion beat by beat. My fingers are in her hair, my other hand attached to her hips as I fly us across the room until her back is flat against the wall.
“Stephan,” she whispers when I run my tongue down her neck.
Her throaty voice is my undoing. It makes me want to give up everything: my morals, my vow, even my last name.
We’re moments away from the inevitable when the ominous ringtone of Andy’s cell phone bursts our bubble of abandon. The fire between us vanishes in a split second. Her body becomes as hard as a rock, unwelcoming. She frees herself from my hold and walks around me.
“You have to leave.”
“Andy, we—”
“Now, Stephan! Get the fuck out.”
Before I can say or do anything, Andy’s chains wrap around my body and send me flying out the window. Her aim is shoddy, and I end up hitting my left shoulder on the edge of the frame. I spiral downward for a couple of seconds before I can recover from the hit and control the airways around me. When I return to her apartment, angrier than I’ve ever been, her window is shut.
A vortex forms around me, the strong winds howling with fury—a reflection of my mood. I’m about to shatter the glass of all the apartments on this side of the building when sanity finally returns to my brain.
Son of a bitch. What am I doing?
I kill the vortex immediately, baffled that I let my power go unchecked like that.
I spare one final glance at her apartment before I zoom out of there, consumed by the darkness that lives within me.
33
Andromeda
I never thought I’d have to thank Nathaniel for anything, but damn if his call last night wasn’t providential. I was about to make a big mistake, surrender to my feelings for Stephan. That would force me to explain things that can’t be explained or forgiven.
I hate that he’s aware of my night activities, but my vigilant behavior pales in comparison to my other job. If Stephan ever learns of it, I’ll become anathema in his eyes. If he doesn’t kill me on the spot—which he should—he’ll shun me forever. That’s a worst punishment than death.
It’s Sunday morning, and once again I’m out of food, which only adds to my foul mood. Why is it so hard for me to remember to go grocery shopping? I get dressed so I can grab some breakfast in one of the cafes nearby, but as I’m heading out of the girls’ dorm, I bump into a group of out-of-town students heading to the school cafeteria.
This week, Paragon Academy is hosting an interschool tournament, which is something I paid little attention to. Not in the mood to brave the world or the people on the streets, I follow them. Soon, my nose picks up the scents of coffee and bacon, two of my favorite things in the world.
There’s also the chatter of people talking, which tells me many read the memo there was food here today. But when I enter the room, the conversation drops to a murmur. Gee, did I forget to put on my shirt this morni
ng? I thought we were over all the staring and gossiping.
My attention is called to my left. Stephan is here, sharing a table with the girl I bumped into last night, Daisy. She’s back at pretending she’s a Norm. Why is that? Curiouser and curiouser.
She’s the first one to notice my arrival. I pick up her discomfort, followed by her “Are you kidding me?” comment. Stephan is now staring at me. I can see him more clearly than the others. Maybe it’s because we kissed last night. It doesn’t matter. He’s not happy to see me either.
Trying my best to ignore everyone, I head for the buffet and grab some grub. Then I pick an empty table and eat my breakfast alone. Let them ogle all they want. I have more important things to worry about, like Nathaniel’s call from last night.
He’s been so pleased with the work I’ve been doing that he’s ready to give me more meaningful missions, whatever that means. He was testing me before, making sure I was loyal. I suppose I passed his stupid test. Little does he know that I’m far from the obedient soldier. As much as I don’t want to do any other jobs for him, I do want the information. That’s crucial.
Someone at Stephan’s table asks what level I am. When he tells them I’m an eighteen, I can sense their collective stares. Stupid Stephan and his big mouth. He promised me he wouldn’t tell anyone. Pissed, I flip everyone off, then stick a piece of crunchy bacon in my mouth.
Not a minute later, Daisy rushes out of the cafeteria. I tune in to her, using my chains to follow her down the hallway. She vanished into the restroom, which was empty before.
She’s peculiar. Why does she feel like she just came into possession of her power? And if she’s not a Knight, why did she try to help me?
I won’t have a better chance to grill her than now. Calmly, I throw my half-eaten breakfast in the trash and head out. I don’t sense anyone following me. Good, I didn’t look suspicious.
She’s in one of the stalls when I walk in, so I lean against the sink, cross my legs at the ankles, and wait for her to finish her business.
“Hi, Daisy. Fancy seeing you here,” I say when she walks out. “But of course, I can’t really see you.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“When you’re born blind, you learn to see through other means. I recognized your signature—that is, your Idol signature.”
Even with her masking her power, I’m aware of the swirling energy inside of her. I can tell my comment bothered her, her breathing changing just a fraction, so I add, “Don’t worry. Your shield is still in place. Those idiots outside can’t tell you’re one of them.”
“How come you can?”
I cock my head to the side and smile. “I’m special.”
“What do you want?” she snaps.
Okay, she clearly doesn’t trust anyone, just like I don’t. Maybe that’s why I’m going through the trouble of getting to know her—or trying. She’s cagier than I am.
“I just thought I’d introduce myself properly. My name is Andromeda, which I guess Mr. Pain In My Ass already told you. But you can call me Andy.”
“Are you referring to Stephan?”
“Who else?”
“That’s it? You just cornered me in the girls’ restroom to introduce yourself?”
Jeez, she is prickly. It’s almost not worth the effort.
“Yeah. What? You thought I came here to be nasty to you?”
“It crossed my mind. I haven’t had good experiences with the girls in my school.”
Preaching to the choir, sister.
“I’m sorry you’ve only come across assholes,” I repeat what she told me last night.
My comment seems to mollify her, and she relaxes her stance a bit. But my time is up. I can sense Stephan approaching. He must have suspected I was bothering his friend.
“Uh-oh. I’m afraid our tête-à-tête is coming to an end in three, two, one.” I point at the door.
Like clockwork, Stephan bursts in, nervous as shit. What did he think I was doing to Daisy?
“What’s up, Stephan?” Daisy asks.
“Is everything all right here?”
“Yup. Everything is dandy.” I turn to the mirror and finger-comb my hair, pretending I can actually see my reflection there.
“I wasn’t asking you,” he grumbles.
Yeah, he’s still angry about last night.
What did you expect, Andy? You threw him out of a window.
“Everything is fine,” Daisy replies. “It was nice to meet you, Andy.”
Wanting to provoke Stephan even more, I turn to her. “Same. We’ll talk more during the week.”
Daisy walks out of the restroom with Stephan, but I stay put. When they’re gone, I splash cold water on my face to calm my nerves. The interaction with him, as brief as it was, left me reeling. I should have never kissed him last night. Now the memory is fresh, seared in my brain. It pulls back another torturous remembrance—our first time.
I clutch the cold sink hard, putting excessive force against it. It cracks down the middle, surprising the crap out of me. I did the damage with my bare hands, not my chains. Idols are stronger than Fringes and Norms, but not strong enough to break marble sinks like that.
Did I just develop another gift? How is it possible?
STEPHAN
Knowing Andy can hear every word spoken out in the corridor, I steer Daisy away, and then I interrogate the girl. My shoulder is still throbbing from my altercation with Andy, so I can’t vouch for her sanity anymore.
“What did she say to you? Did she threaten you?”
“No, nothing of the sort. She was nice.” Daisy looks sincere enough, but I’m having a hard time buying that Andy can be pleasant to anyone.
“Come on, Daisy. You can tell me.”
“I am telling you. She was nice.”
I stare at her for a couple of beats. She doesn’t seem coerced or scared. I shake my head, finally accepting the impossible. “Damn. Only you could make friends with that fiend.”
“You don’t like her?”
“No, I can’t say I do.” Not a lie. It’s possible to be in love with someone and dislike them at the same time. “Would you appreciate someone straight out of the bowels of Hell?
I sound like Soren now. Fuck. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I shouldn’t be saying all these things to Daisy when I’m trying to win her over to our cause.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking like that. I’m glad you had no issues with Andy. You’d better get back to your guys before they think I kidnapped you.”
She narrows her eyes. “I know you meant that as a joke, but you couldn’t blame them if they jumped to that conclusion. Kidnapping seems to be your MO.”
“Ouch. I deserve that.”
My phone begins to ring, and I’m glad for the interruption. The screen shows Dad is calling.
“Excuse me. I have to take this.”
Daisy and I part ways, but I wait until she’s out of sight to answer the call.
“Any news?” I ask.
“Yes. Xavier is here. Let’s catch that fucking mole.”
34
Stephan
Soren is already waiting for me inside the black SUV parked in front of school. He’s riding shotgun, and Dad is driving. There’s a stranger sitting in the back of the car, a middle-aged man with balding hair and a protruding belly.
“Who are you?” I ask.
“Hello, Stephan. Nice to see you again.” He smiles.
“When have we met?”
Soren laughs. “That’s Xavier’s alter ego, Poppy.”
“Your alter ego is a Norm?” I raise an eyebrow.
“My true identity is already too visible; I needed an alias that could easily blend in with the background. Plus, I had my reasons for choosing to be a Norm.”
“My guess is you’re not going to tell us,” I say.
“Nope.”
“What’s the plan?” I turn to my father.
“I called for a meeting with all the s
enior members, no exceptions.”
“And they all agreed to it?”
We haven’t had a meeting with all members since my father duped the others as he tried to smoke out the rat. Trust among members is feeble.
“Yes. I said I had news in relation to Magia’s descendant.”
“You’re going to expose Daisy’s identity?” Soren asks, alarmed.
“I didn’t agree to that,” Xavier, Poppy—whatever—retorts. “If the Neo Gods discover who she is, they’ll kill her.”
“I’m not going to reveal her identity. The only people who know are some members in Saturn’s Bay, and only because you vetted them. I’m dangling the information as bait. Whoever is the mole won’t miss that.”
Xavier sinks against the plush leather seat, still sporting a frown, and glances out the window. “How is she doing?”
“Who?” Soren looks over his shoulder.
“Daisy.”
Why is Xavier so interested in her? He’s acting like he’s her father or something.
“She’s fine,” I reply.
“Besides, she has four high-level Idols as her protectors. She couldn’t be safer,” Soren pipes up.
Xavier snorts. “Protectors? They’re more likely trouble magnets. I wish she wasn’t involved with any of them.”
Yeah, there’s definitely a familial bond between him and Daisy.
“Sometimes, we can’t choose who we care about,” I say more to myself than anyone else.
“Speaking from experience, bro?” Soren teases.
“Yeah, be amused at my expense. One day it’ll happen to you too.”
“Oh no it won’t. I’m too smart for that.”
I open my mouth to retort, but Xavier beats me to it. “We’ve all been there, kid. Sooner or later, it will happen, and you won’t even know how it did.”
That’s exactly how it was for me. Even knowing it was fated to end in heartbreak, I dove in headfirst.
Fuck. We need to change the subject.
“How was your trip?” I ask.
“Long.”
I sense right away the man is not in the mood to talk. I’m not either.
Reckless Times: A Paranormal Romance (Paragon Society Book 1) Page 19
