Sacrifice of Mercy

by Shannon Dermott

  The air was thick with anxious anticipation. I moved forward away from the door as everyone else stood like statues wearing grim expressions.

  “Is anyone thirsty?” I asked, to break up the weirdness.

  Sebastian materialized, and there was a noticeable sigh of relief from everyone.

  “Can I talk to you?” He directed his question to me.

  I nodded, stupefied he would even ask. He walked over, touched my shoulder, and I was sucked into the vacuum of space and spit out in my room.

  Veins in his arm muscles were visible as he took a step back from me. I wondered what had him coiled with tension. I met his eyes and found the vacant stare was back void of emotion.

  “We couldn’t do this downstairs?”

  His jaw tensed. “No, this is in regards to your safety.”

  I formed an O with my mouth. He hadn’t wanted certain people to overhear. “Mia?”

  “Rune too. He’s human and vulnerable to anyone looking for answers.”

  I nodded because I didn’t want to go down the road of Rune’s friendship with Sebastian. He wouldn’t appreciate hearing my thoughts yet again on the subject.

  “So what’s the next threat?”

  It didn’t surprise me. My life over the past year had been riddled with threats.

  “That’s the thing. You’re reasonably safe right now. With Belial and Queen Mab, if she’s still alive, stuck in Fairy. There is no real threat to you.”

  I didn’t bother to mention Nina. I didn’t consider her a risk, and he didn’t bring her up either.

  “You think it’s over. I can live a normal life now?”

  He pursed his lips for a second. “Nothing for you is normal. But you don’t need me watching your back every day.”

  An upsurge of uncomfortable emotion ran through me. “Are you telling me goodbye?”

  “Not goodbye. I have to oversee and keep control of Belial’s reign as second in command. That, along with my normal duties at the demon school and keeping tabs on the demi-demon school, will keep me well and busy.”

  “Yeah, makes sense.”

  He leaned over to capture my gaze as it had strayed towards the floor. “It’s not like we will ever love each other Mercy. You have Flynn… Luke. And I will never love anyone. It’s a foreign word I wasn’t created to understand. Yet, I am drawn to you, most likely because Belial set all this in motion. He knew you would be attractive to me.” He licked his lips as if he would say more. He held a finger. “I have a present for you. Wait here.”

  A second later, he was gone. Then a body hit my floor, and my jaw dropped. My grandfather lay in a heap of limbs and gore. He was in his Rock Star human form looking more like an older brother than my grandfather. Then, Belial was there, and I froze.

  “You will watch over my son’s prize. Do you understand?” Belial said.

  My heart malfunctioned because I couldn’t draw in a breath.

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t fail me again,” Belial threatened.

  “I won’t.” Grandfather glanced over me. “However, I can’t properly take care of her in this state.”

  Belial kicked him so that he sprawled on his back. “I know. I will take you to your band's concert venue where you can feed on the crowd as you’ve done in the past. Then you make sure she is safe.”

  Grandfather nodded, and they were gone.

  A minute later just as I worked my feet into action to flee downstairs with the news, Sebastian was there.

  “Belial!—”

  He placed his hands on my shoulders. “That was me. It’s what I’ll have to do from time to time. It takes a lot of energy to shift forms.”

  My mouth hung open. He placed his hand on my cheek. It was the most tender action he’d ever done. Yet, his eyes were still empty. “You will be fine.”

  I nodded and then we were sucked into darkness a second before reappearing in the foyer. Immediately, he moved a step away from me.

  “Are you ready?” he asked Mia and Tristrom.

  They nodded. Mia bounced on her toes with a half-grin. Tristrom, on the other hand, looked resigned and lost at the same time. We’d said our goodbyes the night before. If the scepter had affected him, it was destroyed and couldn’t do any further damage. His demons were in loss.

  He claimed to be okay. He’d believe CeCe dead for so long, he’d only just found out after arriving back on earth that she was alive. Her being dead was something he’d already dealt with, he’d explained. I didn’t push. But, I knew he’d closed himself off from that box of emotions.

  We offered for him to stay, but he declined. He wanted to be somewhere he wouldn’t be faced with the memory of losing the girl he loved. David had gotten him a cell phone, laptop, and clothes. And he promised to keep in touch.

  “I’m going with you,” Rune announced. Everyone turned in his direction. “I want to be turned. I don’t want to be human.”

  Sebastian’s eyes flashed for a second with emotion, and then it was gone. Rune continued to stare at him as if pleading with unheard words. Sebastian gave a curt nod, and Rune walked over.

  “Thanks for everything,” he said to us.

  I nodded in understanding. Rune stood behind Sebastian. He placed a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder because the Prince of Hell was already flanked by Mia and Tristrom. Then in a blink of an eye, they were all gone.

  Mom, David, Flynn, and I stood a second before we finally moved.

  “Let’s get on the road.” David’s words encouraged us into action.

  After piling in the car, we ended at the same private airport where we’d taken the flight to Ireland. It wasn’t terribly far from the house. Mom wanted us to spend time together before the end. She’d quit her job that week and would be home twenty-four seven.

  David had gifted Maggie’s family a weekend getaway to the beach at a five-star resort under the guise of winning some sweepstakes. Maggie knew what we’d done but thanked us. She was rattled over everything and was grateful to spend time with her parents and brothers away from Maryland for three days since we had a day off from school.

  Our luggage was loaded into David’s plane, and we had our passports checked. We sat in four seats facing each other with Mom and David on one side as I stared out of the window.

  “Is it over?”

  Sebastian thought it was, but I wanted Mom and David’s opinion.

  Mom was the first to answer. “Is what over?”

  I shifted to face her. “My destiny? Have I completed whatever I’m supposed to?”

  Her face softened. David’s hand reached over to touch her beach ball belly. My gaze found the outside again.

  “Mercy, that’s something only you would know. But, the worst is over. You’re safe.”

  “It doesn’t feel over,” I murmured. “I feel like there is something I need to do.”

  The McCallister men were touchy-feely. Flynn’s hand snagged mine. I knew he wanted to comfort me, but I was restless.

  “I’m thinking of letting Maggie go.” There I’d said it.

  “What?” Mom asked.

  I licked my lips feeling their dryness as I said the words. “Maggie deserves a normal life, and she’ll never have that with me as a friend. My life will always have an element of danger.”

  “Mercy, don’t you think you should ask her first?”

  I knew my best friend would never go for it. “Maybe the sacrifice of letting her go or even…” I trailed off unable to get the last part out.

  Flynn reached over and turned me to face him. “Or letting me go.”

  “Or Luke. Or maybe all of you. I need to find the prophecy. I don’t remember it.”

  I’d been back to Luke’s house along with paging through his journal searching for it. Nothing. Nada. My next stop would be the Hamptons. That was where he’d found it and told me. However, that trip was on hold. I planned to spend all my free time with Mom. We talked and snapped lots of pictures. I tried to smile, but inside my guts were twisting. H
ow could I possibly say goodbye to my mother?

  “Why Montreal?” I asked changing the subject.

  We were headed to that French Canadian city.

  David, always ready with an answer said, “It’s almost like Switzerland to the supernatural. The city is free of us at least on a permanent basis. It makes it one of the safest places in the world for us. It could potentially make for a good place for this year’s Cambion meeting.”

  The weight of time with my mother slipping through my fingers like sand probably caused my snap.

  “Really, we’re wasting time planning a trip for an annual Cambion meeting when my mother’s going to die.” I got to my feet. “That’s great David. That makes perfect sense.”

  “Mercy,” he began.

  “And what’s this about you bringing Mia because there was a prophecy Flynn would die if he stayed with me.”

  David looked genuinely taken aback. “I never said that. She must have been confused. I said that if Flynn didn’t mate with you, you’d die.”

  “Well Flynn’s going to live, and Mom’s going to die because you couldn’t keep it wrapped up.”

  I’d been rude. I knew that and should probably apologize. Still, I stormed off to the back of the plane where the bedroom was. I heard Mom tell David to just let me have time.

  The bed absorbed my landing as I tossed myself on it. My tears were caught in the pillow as I let go of the feelings I’d been holding inside. It wasn’t long before I heard the door open. I didn’t have to guess as Flynn wrapped himself around me.

  “I know this sucks, Mercy. But, it’s not all my dad’s fault.”

  It happened to be the wrong thing to say to me at the moment. I swiveled in his arms to level a declaration of war glare at him. “Easy for you to say. Your dad will still be alive when this is all over.”

  “Alive. Mercy, you don’t know how broken-up Dad is about this. He’s holding it together putting on a brave face for your mom. He’s going to lose his shit when she’s gone. I know. I’ve been talking to him.”

  “Yeah, I’m losing everyone I love.”

  “Luke? Your mom?”

  I nodded. His hand slowly released me, and he pulled back.

  “And here I thought you had me and Maggie left.”

  He didn’t wait for me to respond. Quietly, he left, and I knew I’d said the wrong thing. Everything I’d said in the last ten minutes had been wrong. I stayed in the room for the short flight, mad at myself and world.

  About two hours later we landed with somber faces and little conversation that only related to things that absolutely had to be said, like wait here, get in the car, are you hungry and so on.

  In the limo, I watched the city bustle with activity. People were friendly enough and didn’t seem to have death weighing on them. I envied their ignorance to our world being a prize given to the ultimate victor of the battle between heaven and hell.

  Mom and David surprised me when they spoke in French, although I found out most natives of the city spoke English as well.

  I learned I understood French. Mom explained that it should be an ability to speak it if I wanted. It was a demon ability to know all languages, something I hadn’t tapped into before. I wasn’t sure if it was because I’d treated my demon as something separate. However, since I’d bonded with my other half, more and more of my abilities came out.

  After we settled in the hotel, Mom decided we should do the touristy thing as a family. Everyone smiled, indulging her, but there was definitely a divide. Flynn didn’t smile or glare at me, but he also didn’t hold my hand.

  That sucked, because just like everywhere else, girls stopped and flirted with him taking selfies like he was a celebrity.

  “Mercy, I know you’re angry,” Mom began.

  I kept my eyes on the different buildings as we drove by. We sat at the top of a double-decker sightseeing bus. Flynn was a couple seats behind flirting with other tourists.

  “This is as much my fault as David’s. We didn’t plan on it. But honey, I wouldn’t trade this baby for anything in the world. He or she is a blessing just like you.” She pushed back my hair as it blew in the wind. “I don’t want to leave you or to miss seeing my child grow. But, I couldn’t give the baby growing inside me up any more than I could have you. It would be selfish. I’ve lived more than a lifetime. And the best years I had, were watching you grow up. I know you will be there for your sister or brother. You’ll be able to do the things I can’t.”

  I buried my head on her shoulder as the child inside me mourned my future loss. “Mom, I don’t want to lose you.”

  It seemed to be the only words I said these days.

  Eventually, we made it back to the hotel. It was grand and not your typical hotel. The rooms branched off different hallways with a center restaurant. An outdoor interior atrium and pool with a waterfall could be seen through large glass windows giving the inside much light. It was quite lovely.

  Mom and David must have talked about Flynn’s needs versus my virtue because we’d been given a room together.

  “I can see the tension between the two of you. I can get you a separate room if you want.”

  I declined. “It’s okay. He may not want me, but he needs me. Besides it has two beds right?”

  Mom may have agreed for us to share a room, but she hadn’t been on board with one bed. Two beds allowed her conscience to sit well with us sharing a room.

  “There are,” she admitted with a wide smile.

  That night, we slept in separate beds. Although, somewhere in the middle of the night, I felt warmer than I should. I sank deeper into sleep but woke up alone. Flynn was in his bed and I guessed it was a dream.

  David spent the morning with the hotel staff talking about event planning. Mom wanted to go shopping. I tagged along to spend time with her and endured the pain of shopping. It was late the next evening when we finally boarded the plane. David had to work the next day, and Flynn and I had school. That should be interesting because he still hadn’t talked to me, and I hadn’t felt the rational urge to apologize to him yet. Probably because he’d so easily slipped back into his old ways, the charmer he was. He didn’t lack female attention. In my crazy way of thinking that meant, he didn’t need me.

  Chapter Forty

  Wake, school, spend time with Mom, sleep, repeat. That was my life over the last few weeks of school.

  “I can’t believe we are seniors,” Maggie said bouncing on the balls of her feet.

  “We’re not seniors yet,” I said sourly.

  “Technically, we are. Today’s the last day of school, and it’s a half day. Now that’s it’s the end of the day, we are no longer juniors but seniors. What are you doing now?”

  I glanced over because clearly in her excitement; she'd forgotten. “Hanging out with Mom.”

  “Oh,” she mouthed. “I’m really sorry about everything.”

  Her words were kind, but what do you say to that. “I’ve been thinking?”

  “Uh oh.”

  “My life is crazy. I’m surprised you’re still my friend after everything.” She’d claimed she wasn’t upset about what happened to her and her brother. “I could make you forgot me and everything about the supernatural.”

  She stopped in the middle of the hallway creating a dam of fleeing students who broke all around us. People spilled out the front doors into freedom of the summer while she stood spurring me with her scorn.

  “If you so much as ever mess with my memories Mercy McKayla…”

  Okay, it was bad. She’d used my full name. “Brent is gone, and you deserve a life that doesn’t put everyone you love in danger.”

  “You’re like my frigging sister. I love you to pieces, and I would never forgive you if you made me forget.”

  How would she remember not to forgive me if she forgot? Still, I understood.

  “Fine.”

  She didn’t move and pointed daggers at me with her super sharp nails. “You better not.” Then, she spun on her
heels and marched out into the sunlight.

  I followed her outside and watched the chaos happen. Paper was everywhere as people dumped the contents of their backpacks on the lawn. I should have been happy like everyone else that school was out. Instead, I lamented on Nina’s whereabouts as she and Luke still hadn’t been seen.

  “What’s going on with you and Flynn?” Maggie asked casually drawing me from my thoughts.

  Personally, I was surprised, she hadn’t asked sooner.

  “Nothing.” And that was the truth. We rode to and from school together, but his music eclipsed any potential conversation.

  She patted my back as I left for Flynn’s Hummer that vibrated with muffled music. I opened the doors and was assaulted by the metal band that blasted through his speakers. I sat down and before I could finish buckling up, he backed out of his space waving at people as he went. Yet, he’d scarcely acknowledged my presence. I’d barely strapped myself in when he pulled out on the main road.

  I jammed in my earbuds or risked losing my hearing. With my eyes closed, I drifted until we made it home. When I opened them again, I noticed smudges under one of his eyes from my profile view of him. I made my move quickly.

  “You have something on your face,” I said, surprising him because we hadn’t spoken directly to each other since the trip to Montreal.

  I crawled over in his lap and studied his beautiful face feeling guilty. He braced his hands on my hips as I leaned in and kissed him. Colors raced all around us as our auras twined in the mating dance. It was a powerful experience and one I’d missed over the past few weeks.

  With my eyes opened, I watched as the dark circles faded and disappeared. At that moment, I could have kissed him forever. His hands wound in my hair. I thought he meant to deepen our kiss. He didn’t. In fact, he separated us, our rapid breathing the only noise for a few more seconds.

  “We should stop.”

  “Why?” I breathed.

  His hand found my hip again, and he wiggled me on his lap letting me feel all the evidence of the why nots of things.