Four Psychos (The Dark Side Book 1)

by Kristy Cunning

  Chapter 12

  After a week of avoiding them, even though they’ve remained at the house, I’ve gotten used to not having my eyes on them. It was a rough withdrawal, but I still managed.

  The media room TV was accidentally left on when they watched a movie a few nights ago. As soon as they left, I quickly occupied a seat and watched the next movie on.

  I’ve never gotten to watch a whole movie without them in here, because they always remember to turn it off, usually. I’m liking my newfound freedom a little.

  But for two days, I’ve been counting down the minutes for the movie that is on right now.

  I’m even dressed for the occasion, sitting in the front row, wishing I could eat popcorn. That’s the first thing I’m eating when I’m whole.

  Just sayin’.

  I’ve been on the edge of my seat the entire movie, glued to the screen like my life depends on it.

  Just as the sad, lonely little fella gets screwed over by the ones he thought were his friends, and they get turned into literal jackasses, the door to the media room is thrown open, and the sound of laughter fills the room.

  Speaking of jackasses…

  I look behind me as all four of them come to an abrupt stop, all eyes on me like they knew I was in here. Ezekiel’s eyes have lost their golden hue over the week, and he looks away from me like he’s making sure not to fall into my sticky trap of doom and manipulation or whatever.

  My feminine wiles have these guys on cock-block overdrive.

  Considering I was here first and have been dying to watch this movie since I saw it advertised, I turn back around and concentrate on what’s going on.

  “What the actual hell are you watching?” Jude finally asks me.

  Damn bipolar, annoying, self-centered, arrogant, distrusting pricks.

  All of them.

  Now they’re just being rude for talking during the movie.

  Ignoring them, I try to focus on the movie and nothing else. I’ve waited too long to—

  “And what the fuck are you wearing?” Kai asks as he walks to be in front of the huge screen, his head cutting off my view.

  I try to peer around him, but he deliberately steps into my view again.

  Blowing out a frustrated breath because I’m near the big climax, I glare at him. “What exactly do you want? And can you hurry up and say it so I can get back to my movie before it ends?”

  The screen pauses, and I look back as Jude’s lips twitch, the remote in his hand.

  “Seriously...what are you wearing?” Kai asks again, his eyebrows up as he stares at my dressy, blue bow tied at the top of my yellow shirt that is buttoned all the way up.

  Jude steps forward, his eyes scanning over my red shorts and red suspenders. Don’t forget the wooden Dutch shoes.

  When Gage joins the gawking fest, he focuses primarily on my yellow hat and bright red feather that is proudly sticking out.

  “This is a movie that is resonating very deeply with me, and it needed the proper outfit to enjoy it with,” I dutifully explain, hoping they just leave me in peace.

  “Pinocchio is a movie that resonates very deeply with you?” Ezekiel asks from far behind me, probably cautioned not to get too close so I can’t whammy him with my evil vagina powers.

  Evil. Isn’t that ironic, considering they’re literally trying to save the devil. Take away the D in devil and what are you left with?

  “Does your nose grow when you tell a lie? Because that would be helpful to us,” Gage states dryly.

  “He wants to be a real boy. I want to be a real girl,” I point out, even though it really should be obvious.

  They exchange a look that makes me feel like they might believe I’m crazy. Of course I’m crazy. Five and a half years of not being seen or heard, then getting treated like a disease when I can be seen and heard…anyone would be crazy.

  “Is the outfit supposed to make all your dreams come true?” Kai asks incredulously.

  “I have no idea,” I say on a long sigh. “I’ve never seen the movie. I’ve yet to discover what, if anything, turns Pinocchio into a real boy.”

  “Spoiler alert, it’s the blue fairy,” Jude states with a smirk.

  I cut my eyes on him, imagining the ways I’d like to kick his ass right now.

  “Any chance you can help me find the blue fairy equivalent now that you’ve ruined my movie?” I ask him through gritted teeth.

  “There’s no such thing,” he answers with a shrug, seeming to enjoy the fact he’s pissed me off.

  Their phones all start going off, which means a job.

  Pulling my knees up to my chest, I silently fume.

  “I’m not taking her anywhere in that outfit,” Jude says as he disappears from sight.

  Kai rolls his eyes and steps in front of me. I just glare up at him as I reach out my hand, feeling the tips of my fingers swipe through his shirt just before he siphons.

  We land in the middle of the graveyard, and the others start trying to catch the black shadows of souls that are racing away. Me? I decide to be a pain in the ass tonight, since they’re assholes who ruined my movie for no reason.

  Jude is my first target.

  One of the souls dives for him, trying to invade his body, and I turn around in a Little Bo Peep outfit, sheep hook in hand and obnoxiously large bonnet on my head.

  He stumbles, his eyes widening as his mouth twists in a cringe. The soul runs through him, and he curses as he doubles over. The soul is forced back out, and he swipes his bo staff, absorbing the soul until the metal lights up.

  My next outfit is a cheerleader outfit, with my hair in pigtails. Midriff showing and short skirt barely covering my bare ass, I lift my pompoms in the air and start exaggerating a cheer.

  “J! U! D! E! What’s that spell?! Major dick, yes, sir-ree!” My cheer involves a one-finger salute.

  Kai snorts, then curses me as he struggles to recover from his accidental burst of laughter.

  I chase them through the streets, as they diligently avoid the humans, trying to capture the souls without being caught on film.

  The humans can’t see the souls, obviously.

  “U-G-L-Y, you ain’t got no alibi, you ugly, yeah, you’re all ugly!” I cheer, appearing just in front of Gage, who runs through me, cursing me the entire time.

  Switching to referee attire, I go to where Ezekiel is fighting hard against three particularly crafty souls that keep evading him. He takes a run and leaps to one side of the building, then flips to the building beside him, before pushing off the second building when his feet hit, and finally lands on the first building’s roof, managing to snag a soul in the process.

  I zap myself up there, finding the dizziness fading with each time I do this. “Foul on the play!” I shout, startling him so much he trips before crashing through me.

  “Damn it! What the hell is your problem?” he shouts to my back, before I zap myself back down to where Jude is.

  I change my attire into a very skimpy bikini. Big sunglasses frame my face as I lie down and pretend I’m sunning under the moonlight, putting myself directly in the path of Jude.

  He almost trips himself up, trying to avoid stepping on me, before finally remembering he can’t actually step on me.

  His foot swipes through my vagina as he races on, and I don’t think that was an accident.

  I give a little wave to Kai when I catch him staring for a minute. When a soul crashes into him during its attempt to escape Jude, I smirk.

  Then I outright laugh a little when Jude also crashes into him while chasing the soul.

  “What the fucking hell are you doing?” Gage snaps, standing over me.

  “Careful, pretty boy. It looks like you’re talking to yourself,” I say as he looks up, seeing the homeless gawking at him and the others like they’re all insane.

  Grown men with weapons they’re swinging at air and yelling at a girl no one else can see? Now who looks crazy?

  A little triumphant grin toys with my li
ps.

  Last year, he bought a very pretty girl a black, sheer slip of lingerie, and he had her wear it with some really sexy high heels.

  That’s what my next outfit is, and he stares down at me with intense, hard eyes. There’s almost a palpable energy between us when he reaches down and adjusts himself.

  My lips curl in a knowing grin. He can get aroused easily with the others so close.

  Why haven’t I done this sooner? They’ve been cruel. So I should be as well.

  “This just got interesting,” I say to myself as Gage stalks off.

  Score one for the phantom girl with no memory.

  Chapter 13

  “Are you trying to get us killed?” Gage snaps, throwing his swords to the ground as he stalks toward me.

  I’m already dropping to the couch of our house, wearing nothing but some more sexy lingerie. I’m calling it their hit-list. All the things they requested girls wear is all I’m wearing from now on.

  “Even when I’m saving your lives you apparently think I’m trying to get you killed, so I had an epiphany,” I state, shrugging.

  “Your epiphany involved stupid outfits and distracting tactics when we’re chasing souls that could have escaped us tonight because of you?” Jude snaps, getting right in my face.

  “No,” I say as I stand and pass through him, ignoring the tingles as I strut through the room with the lacy ensemble showing off all the goods.

  As I pass through Gage, I notice Kai’s eyes hungrily raking over me, his breathing coming a little quicker. This was one of his favorite outfits on a girl, because when it was his turn, he bought this one several times for several different women.

  “Over the years, I told you I perfected my fantasy,” I remind them.

  “We’ve decided we’re never going to—”

  I interrupt Kai, since it’s my turn to talk. “There are two types of people,” I say to him, and he narrows his eyes on me. “Those who listen, and those who merely wait for their turn to talk.”

  My eyes move around the room.

  “None of you are listeners. None of you care that I can’t change the channels on the TV, nor do you ever ask me if you can do something for me.”

  “You never ask for anything,” Kai points out with a roll of his eyes.

  “Exactly! I ask for nothing! And you inconsiderate assholes never bother to take that into consideration. I don’t even have a light on in my bedroom. I’ve been dying to watch that movie, and you ruined it,” I rant on, darting an annoyed gaze at Jude.

  His lips merely twitch because he’s an unapologetic dick.

  “And therefore, my epiphany has been that none of you deserve me. You can look. You can fantasize. Like I’ve had to. Try to bring home a woman, and I’ll make farting noises while wearing a dolphin costume and acting like I’m humping each of you. See how long you can hold an erection then,” I carry on, feeling a little proud of that threat as they all eye me like the psychotic girl in the room. “But even if I get whole and you beg, I’d never give in. In fact, I’m going to see if I can’t figure out how to attach myself to one of the other quads the next time we’re around some.”

  Ezekiel turns and stalks out, not saying anything.

  As I take a seat, Jude leans over me, caging me in as I stare up at him, unafraid.

  “You’re trying to fuck with us again right now, aren’t you? See if you can make us jealous?”

  I snort derisively, then outright laugh. “Make you jealous?” I ask around my laughter.

  He backs up, a confused expression on his face.

  “Why in the hell would I attempt to make you jealous? You don’t even like me! You play head games. Three of you finally tell me good night, only to act like I’m the devil’s advocate the next day just because I had a fluke where I finally got to feel someone, and surprise surprise, there was almost sex involved. That was apparently me trying to break you up, even though I’ve been quite shameless in voicing what I want the second I get whole, and I’ve been voicing it from the very beginning.”

  They all look a little confused for a second.

  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there are a few books open in the library where you guys were trying to research me. I’m going to go see if any of those books hold the secrets to getting myself hitched to four guys who appreciate how awesome I really am. Ghost girl out.”

  I should have left off the ghost girl out part. My speech was epic until then.

  Hands shaking and heart thumping in my chest, I stalk up the stairs, ready to commit to this new plan of action. I’ve been toying with the idea since the gauntlet, but until now, I didn’t have the lady ghost balls to go through with it.

  As soon as I pass through the door in the library, I see a book shutting. Jude is smirking, his fingers closing another book.

  Kai closes a few as well, since they apparently siphoned in here.

  Gage props his feet up on a few open books, before shutting a few more beside him, challenging eyes on me the entire time.

  “Real mature,” I grumble. “If you want me gone so bad, then why would you shut all the books?”

  Gage toys with an ink pen, smirking and not looking at me.

  “All the better to annoy you with, my dear,” Jude drawls.

  “We’re not letting you go until we understand what it is you really are,” Kai goes on with a shrug.

  “Fine,” I bite out with a fake smile on my face as I cross my arms over my chest.

  My outfit changes to the sexiest one yet. It’s a little Egyptian Princess in style, gold and alluring. Ornate gold sleeves wrap up my arms, and the laces of the sexy shoes go all the way up to my thighs.

  The bodysuit-ish outfit has a neckline that dips all the way to my stomach. The bottom has a touch of long, light, gold chains that hang to the knees, but is spaced apart so you can still see all the way up.

  I’m not sure why it’s the one that I choose, but it pops into my mind, so I go with it.

  Gage falls out of the chair.

  Guess I have a winning outfit for him.

  Kai sucks in a sharp breath, and Jude is suddenly in front of me, trying to snatch me. All of their eyes light up gold, and I take a wary step back as they start coming toward me like mindless drones.

  “Okay. Not funny anymore. What’s wrong with—”

  I squeal when Kai lunges, but when he passes through me, I roll my eyes at myself for being an idiot. I whirl around just as Gage tries to tackle me.

  Shit.

  For whatever reason, they really like this outfit, or they seriously hate it.

  Because they look feral. Ruthless. Savage even.

  I’m suddenly in that dolphin costume I threatened them with for a whole new reason, my head poking out the dolphin’s belly, and they all blink like they’re waking from a trance.

  “What the hell is wrong with you idiots? It was just an outfit. And so help me, if you blame me for that, I will—”

  They all disappear from the room at once, and I curse, losing the dolphin costume and donning some normal, very respectable clothing.

  I almost don’t go look for them, because I know they’re going to be doubly suspicious of me. But unfortunately, I’m worried about them, because that clearly wasn’t natural.

  I really need to detach myself before my attachment gets me killed.

  My hurried steps slow when I hear them talking in the kitchen.

  “You saw that,” Jude is saying.

  “I saw that she freaked out and turned into a dolphin to snap us out of that shit. She definitely didn’t want us in that trance. Whatever in the hell it was,” Kai grumbles.

  “She’s all I could see for a minute. It was…not the outfit. It was something else. Something in the air,” Jude goes on.

  “Why a dolphin?” Gage asks.

  “Really not the important part,” Ezekiel says. “What happened?”

  Before the guys can explain to him that once again I did something suspicious, the door swings open.

>   Five men come walking in, and my heart stutters. Why isn’t the spell keeping them out of they mean them harm?

  Leaping off the rest of the steps, I race to follow them.

  “Hands on your heads,” one of the men shouts.

  Running up behind them, my hand comes up reflexively, but Jude’s eyes meet mine, and he gives me a subtle, but still distinguishable, shake of his head.

  His hands go to the top of his head, jaw tensing as he holds my eyes for a minute longer. I barely manage to stop the power on the tip of my fingers, because it knows something is wrong. And it only works when they’re in trouble.

  Life threatening trouble.

  And I really want to use the power. It almost hurts not to when it’s so close to the surface and begging to be set free.

  Kai gives me the same barely-there headshake, also telling me to stand down.

  My hand falls to my side, and I ignore the annoying prickles that spread over me, punishment for denying whatever this power inside me is.

  Ezekiel’s gaze meets and holds mine as the men start walking behind all of them. They pull out cuffs, and Gage glances my way before speaking.

  “What are we being taken in for?” Gage asks.

  I wish they weren’t all staring at me like they’re worried I’m about to save them—as though it would be the worst thing ever. Don’t they want to be saved?

  When no one answers him, Kai speaks, even as they continue to pull their hands into some weird black cuffs one at a time.

  “Under the guardian’s privilege rules, you’re required to tell four guardians who’ve entered the trials the reason they’re being taken in,” Kai tells them dryly.

  “It’s protective custody,” one of the guards tells him flippantly. “There’s still a hit out on your names, and as contenders in the second round of the trials, we’re required to offer you protection under the crown.”

  The guys all stare at me, until Ezekiel finally makes a subtle gesture with his head for me to join them. Right. They’re about to be zapped out of here, no doubt.

  I barely make it to him in time to stick my hand out, and then we’re suddenly inside a cell. The men who cuffed them are nowhere to be seen, and I whirl around, taking in the blackened stones surrounding us.