“He’s really messed up, from what I heard,” Henry said. “You’re seriously telling me it’s because of you?”
“I’ll tell you at lunch,” I repeated.
Henry kept shooting me glances out of the corner of his eye all throughout Calculus class. I ignored him, pretended I didn’t notice. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to say to Henry. The truth made me sound like a monster, but could I really live with myself if I told him one more lie?
I had to figure out how to get this power under control. I didn’t want to turn into the Incredible Hulk every time I was in danger.
“What the hell happened?” Henry asked as soon as we got to the library.
“Benji tried to attack me,” I said. “It’s partly my fault – I provoked him when I shouldn’t have.”
“That guy is huge!” Henry exclaimed. “Even when I beat him up, I barely got a couple of hits in before Mr. Corbin yanked us apart. And the only reason I was able to hit him at all is because he wasn’t expecting it.”
“Is he going to be alright?” I asked Henry.
“Benji’s got a broken nose. I’m sure he’ll recover,” Henry replied. “Why are you so worried about it? I assume you didn’t attack him without a reason?” Henry looked at me questioningly.
“Because I could have killed him if I wanted to,” I said in a low voice.
“Come on, Aurora.” Henry laughed nervously. “You’re not thinking clearly. That dude has to be at least 220 pounds.”
“He’s 250,” I corrected him.
Henry raked his fingers through his hair and didn’t immediately speak. “Okay,” he finally said. “Tell me what happened.”
And I did just that. I told Henry all of it. Even if he hated me for what I’d done, that was better than having the guilt of yet another lie.
“I’m going to kill him,” Henry said when I had finished.
“You can’t,” I countered. “How can you justify taking a life? Especially when I’m fine?”
“You’re fine,” Henry conceded. “But what about all of the other girls? You really think that this is his first time attacking a female?”
“I have no freaking idea,” I said, fighting to keep my voice at a whisper. “But what gives you – us – the right to decide that he needs to die?”
“Aurora, I’m so sick of this right and wrong bullshit. There is no formula, no rule. I’m working off of instinct. And my instinct tells me that Benji is a psychotic jerkoff who needs to die!”
“No!” I exclaimed. “I can’t condone his death. And don’t try to change my mind – it’s pointless,” I added.
“Rory, I have to forge my own path.” Henry’s voice was hard. “If you don’t agree with it, so be it. I will do what I believe is right, whether you condone it or not.”
“Taking a human life?” I asked. “Is that what it’s come to?” I had to make Henry reconsider.
Henry pounded his fist against the table in frustration. The librarian, who had been putting books on shelves, poked her head around the corner and gave us a disapproving look.
“Sorry,” I called. Henry said nothing.
“You’re angry and not thinking clearly,” I said. “Just think about it? Promise me you won’t do anything rash?” Like cast a spell to put Benji in his grave.
“I will think about it,” Henry replied, his eyes still blazing.
“If you have to do something, at least don’t kill him,” I said quietly. It was obvious Henry’s mind was made up; Benji had to pay for what he did to me, and what he’d continue to do to other girls, given the chance.
“Maybe you’re right.” Henry sighed.
“Good. I’m glad you’re coming to your senses.”
“I was just thinking, there’s better ways to make him pay than death,” Henry said. “I want him to suffer.”
I groaned. “Listen to yourself! This isn’t the Henry I know.” I paused but Henry didn’t say anything. “Can we please not talk about this now? We’ve got enough on our plates!”
“Fine,” Henry said. But I still didn’t like the expression on his face. It was the closest I’d ever seen him to looking, well, evil.
The rest of the day dragged on. At least my hands, which had been swollen immediately after the fight, looked completely normal now. Before, I had thought it was useless to have a body that healed so quickly. But now, if I was about to fight in a war, it could really come in handy.
By the time Henry dropped me off at home after school, I was mentally exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to go to my room, close my eyes, and pretend that I could sleep. But, I had homework to do, and as soon as Mom got back from work, she’d be bugging me to spend quality time together.
I dumped the contents of my backpack onto the couch and started my homework. I had to tow the line, which meant doing trivial things like assignments.
It turned out to be the distraction that I needed. I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed it by any means, but by the time I’d finished the last of my homework, my head felt a little clearer.
When Mom got home from work, I even offered to help her cook dinner. She looked surprised, but happy. “Are you sure it won’t bother you?” she asked. “Since you can’t eat any of it?”
“It won’t bother me. I want to spend more time together,” I lied.
To my surprise, I honestly did enjoy helping my mom cook dinner. I hadn’t realized what I missed about her, but listening to her day, chatting about TV shows, was actually nice for a change.
I have to appreciate this time – it won’t last forever. A wave of sadness washed over me. My parents were mortal. It might take 50 years, but eventually I’d be like Lucas. The thought of me having parents, having family would be a distant memory. Assuming no one found a way to kill me, that is.
After we finished cooking dinner, I sat down at the table with my family. Even Kayla looked surprised.
“We should plan a shopping trip, maybe this weekend?” I said, looking at my mom and Kayla.
Kayla shrugged.
“That’s a wonderful idea, Aurora!” Mom was beaming. “Kayla, it’s only Monday. Don’t make any plans for Saturday afternoon.” It wasn’t a request – it was an order. “I’ll take you girls to the mall. We didn’t have a proper back-to-school shopping trip together, like we used to.”
“Okay,” Kayla said grudgingly.
When dinner was over, I hugged both of my parents before heading up to my room.
“What was that for?” my Dad asked in surprise.
“I’ve just been thinking. Life is short. It won’t always be like this. All four of us living together. I need to learn to appreciate the here and now; I don’t want to have any regrets,” I said.
Mom nodded. “Yes, you’ll be going to college next year. The beginning of your adult life.”
That’s not what I meant, I thought. But I smiled anyway.
I had managed to distract myself from the events of the day, but when I got back to my room, the reality of what had happened this morning came crashing down on me. Henry hadn’t said another word about revenge on Benji after we left the library, but I knew he had probably been reading that book, contemplating spells, since he got home.
It was a side of Henry I’d never seen before. A side I didn’t like. Maybe he’ll have come to his senses tomorrow. But I knew, deep down, that he wasn’t going to let it go. No, Henry was going to make Benji pay for what he did to me.
Chapter 16
Benji didn’t come back to school until Thursday. He had a bandage over his nose, and his entire face was purple. One eye was swollen shut, and the left side of his face looked about three times bigger than normal. I cringed when I saw him. I’m not sure what I expected – but it was still a shock to see the results of the damage I’d inflicted. I couldn’t help but stare.
Benji, on the other hand, looked right through me when we first passed each other in the hallway. Not even a menacing glare. It was a relief, in a way, to see him; it meant Henry hadn’t done
anything yet, and maybe, just maybe, he would let it drop.
Henry and I hadn’t talked about Benji since Monday. Neither of us had brought up the subject. And all of the kids had been gossiping, trying to figure out who beat the shit out of Benji. So far, the popular opinion was that Cody Elridge had done the damage. He was the only guy who rivaled Benji in size and stature, and he had missed homeroom on Monday. But Cody vehemently denied it, and he had no marks on his hands, no sign of having hit anyone.
I hadn’t talked to Lucas either, but I knew, any day now, he’d be in contact about the meeting with Magnus, or Tobias or both. And Henry hadn’t heard from Emmett about this spell to close the gates. Everything was at a standstill.
But, as usual, the shit hit the fan all at once.
I got a text message from Lucas, midday Thursday, for us to come to his apartment after school.
“Let’s cut Doc’s study hall, get there early?” I suggested to Henry as soon as I saw him and told him about the text.
“Sure,” he agreed.
When sixth period arrived, we snuck out one of the back doors, keeping watch for any teachers.
“What do you think he wants?” I asked once we were safely in the car.
“I don’t know,” Henry replied. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
“Benji looked bad,” I ventured.
“No kidding.” Henry laughed. “You did a real number on him.”
“You’re not still thinking about…revenge?”
“I was going to talk to you about that. After I had some time to cool off, I knew I couldn’t kill him or do anything that would cause permanent damage.”
“Good,” I said, a wave of relief washing over me. “But?” I prompted.
Henry grinned. “How about a spell that turns the meathead into a wimp?”
“Meaning?”
“It’s temporary, but maybe it will teach him a lesson. At least it will confuse the hell out of him. If he tries to hurt anyone – it won’t matter if it’s a girl, guy, animal, etc. – he will have no physical strength. You’d be able to tap him with a finger and he’d fall over.”
“Ha! That’s hilarious,” I said. “It’s mean, though.”
“He shouldn’t be trying to hurt anyone,” Henry argued. “It won’t affect him when he’s playing football. I won’t screw with the tiny amount of talent he has, or thinks he has, at least.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “The stuff for the spell – is it hard to get?”
“Nah, this is another one of those beginner ones. The only thing is we need a few strands of his hair.”
“Yikes. How are you going to get that?”
“That’s where you come in,” Henry said. “If I try to pull out some of Benji’s hair, he’ll go ballistic and kick my ass. You, on the other hand, he’ll be too afraid to mess with.”
“But what if other kids see me?” I asked.
“I’ve got it figured out. We need to do it after football practice. He’s usually one of the last to leave. He stays late to lift weights in the gym. I used to lift after school, before you came back from the dead,” Henry explained. “He was there almost every day.”
“So corner him in the gym?”
“Yeah, and you can threaten him. Push him up against a wall. Grab him by the hair and tell him if he ever tries something like that again you’ll kill him.”
“That’s a bit harsh!” I exclaimed.
“Then tell him you’ll be watching him,” Henry suggested. “The words aren’t important. Just make sure you get a few locks of his silky mane.”
I laughed. “I’m in,” I said. “I’m actually really relieved that you aren’t thinking of something worse.”
“I entertained the idea of doing several different spells,” Henry admitted. “But at the end of the day, I can’t live with myself if I ruin someone’s life.”
“Me neither,” I said, pushing back the nagging thought that I’d already ruined several.
We arrived at Lucas’ apartment and knocked on the door.
“You’re early,” he commented when we walked in.
“We ditched last period,” Henry explained.
“Emmett and Nicholas are coming over. It’s easier to explain the new, um, developments with everyone here,” Lucas said.
We sat down on the couch. “Water?” Lucas offered Henry.
“No, thanks,” he said.
It had taken Henry nearly dying, but the two of them finally seemed almost at ease with each other. It was most definitely not as tense as it had been before.
“How are you feeling?” Lucas asked Henry, taking a seat on the floor.
“Normal,” Henry replied. “Although I do have a question. I need you to be honest with me. I was bitten. I know I’m not a vampire, but I’ve noticed something odd.”
Lucas nodded. “I didn’t want to worry you,” he said. “I knew you’d ask me if anything happened. But yes, there could be affects from the bite.”
“Permanent?” Henry asked.
“Probably,” Lucas said. “What are the symptoms?”
“Actually,” Henry said excitedly, “this is great news! For the first time since I can remember, I don’t need to wear my contacts. It didn’t happen until a few days after the bite. But I woke up and realized I could see – perfectly.”
“Wow!” I exclaimed. “That’s really awesome.”
“Good.” Lucas looked relieved.
“Do you think there’s more to come?” Henry asked him.
“Like I told Aurora, I’ve never been through this before,” Lucas said. “I just don’t know.”
“Well, believe me, not having to wear contacts almost makes the whole ordeal worthwhile,” Henry replied.
“I know we need to wait on Emmett and Nicholas,” I said, “but can you at least give us a hint about why you wanted us all to come here?”
“I’ve got the meeting arranged with Magnus – it’s tonight.” Lucas gave me an apologetic look. “Sorry for the short notice. Will you parents mind?”
“They shouldn’t. I’ve been doing damage control the past few days. I think they’re finally starting to let up,” I said.
We didn’t have to wait long for the others. Emmett arrived early, like he usually did, and Nicholas was right on time.
“I’m glad you called us all together,” Emmett said. “I was going to suggest a meeting.” Emmett sat down on the couch next to me. I gave him a genuine smile. He looked much better than the last time I’d seen him.
Nicholas sat down on the floor next to Lucas. “Yeah, I told Lucas earlier today that I found out where Tobias is staying.”
“Great,” I said nervously. “Who wants to go first?”
“Tonight Aurora and I will meet with Magnus,” Lucas told Nicholas and Emmett. “I called him today. I said that Aurora was going to help him, but we needed to meet to negotiate the deal.”
“What’s there to negotiate?” I asked. “He gave me an ultimatum: let him push Tobias into Hell, and kill Leon.”
“I know,” Lucas replied. “But I refuse to let Magnus think he has control of you. I’m going to tell him that he has to switch bodies, let the guy he’s possessing go.”
“But then he’ll just go possess some other innocent person!” I exclaimed.
“Let me finish. If a demon is in a body and that person dies, like you did during the fight with Richard, the demon can still possess the body. I’m going to tell Magnus he has to go to the morgue, get a body from there. If he chooses one that hasn’t been dead for long, he can still possess the corpse,” Lucas explained.
“Gross.” I wrinkled my nose.
“I can’t in good conscience allow Magnus to push Tobias into Hell, then we push him into Hell while he’s possessing a living person,” Lucas said.
“What would happen if a human went into Hell?” Henry asked.
“Probably get torn apart by all the shit living down there,” Nicholas replied.
I shuddered.
Nichol
as punched Lucas playfully. “I hate demons possessing humans as much as the next guy, but I can’t believe you’re going to actually ask the former King of Hell to switch meat suits.”
“If I can save one innocent person, I’m going to do it,” Lucas said. “We also need to know how Magnus wants to deal with Leon,” he continued. “As far as I’m aware, Leon doesn’t come to earth very often. Of course, Aurora won’t really have to kill Leon – not if everything goes according to plan. But Magnus needs to think that after she gives him Tobias, she’s willing to also kill Leon.”
“What time are we meeting him?” I asked.
“At seven,” Lucas replied. He turned to Nicholas. “You’re up.”
“I tapped my resources. I figured after that elaborate underground meeting, Tobias was hiding out in a bunker somewhere. But the dude is seriously delusional – and cocky. He’s living in a house! Like a normal person,” Nicholas said.
“What the fuck?” I sputtered. “That’s weird. So Tobias is just ‘blending in’ as a human?”
“Yep,” Nicholas said. “Well,” he amended, “blending in might be a bit of an overstatement. I don’t think he goes out – no need to. Like you, he doesn’t eat or drink. And he didn’t just up and buy a house, either. He took over one. Found a little old lady with a paid off house and no family to wonder where the hell she went, then killed her.”
Up until this point, Tobias had seemed so stupid, so comical, that I hadn’t really believed he was capable of killing.
“The way you described him, a sort of bumbling idiot, I didn’t think he had it in him,” Henry said, voicing my thoughts.
“Tobias means business. Crazy or not, he isn’t afraid to kill to get what he wants,” Lucas said.
“How do I get a meeting with him?” I asked.
“You knock on his door,” Nicholas replied.
“I don’t like this plan, Nic,” Lucas said.
“It’s perfect,” he argued. “Aurora will have the element of surprise on her side. Tobias will be so shocked that she found him, turned up on her own and is willing to work with him without his mind control, that he’ll agree to her plan.”
Dark Descent (Vampire Hunter Book 5) Page 8
