Waiting for Mercy
Shannon Dermott
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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First Edition
Copyright © 2012 Shannon Dermott
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 1475098782
ISBN-13: 978-1475098785
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DEDICATION
To my family for just being
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To Danyele Johnson, my beta reader and junior editor, thanks will never be enough.
To Justina Sirianni, beta-reader, no amount of gratitude can express my thanks.
Chapter One
abscond (v.) to sneak away and hide
Today had to be the second-worst day of my life. The brilliant blue sky filled up the picture window with not one cloud to mar the pristine view. By all accounts, today was going to shape up to be simply beautiful. The promise of the day didn’t fill me with hope, instead I found myself sitting at the breakfast counter in the kitchen sulking. My mother oblivious to my mood or so it seemed, moved about the kitchen liked she really owned the place. She and I knew better. Her culinary skills were limited to breakfast, and today I obliged her in favor of sulking. What I wanted was nothing more than to play sick, hide and not go to school.
I closed my eyes, willing myself to find my resolve to make it through the day. But closing my lids only brought a flashback of the dream I’d been having for the last two months.
The dream, even the memory of it, wormed its way through my mind. Reliving it, I looked at my arm. Even though only a figment of my imagination, I could feel his fingertips slid up my arm like silk making my heart race and my breathing stop. With my eyes closed, I could sense his breath mingling with my skin like perfume at the base of my neck. I let out a small exhalation of air. My body responded to that touch feverishly more like molten flame. His kiss, although feather light, wasn’t sweet. There was a ferocity that was unbridled. I looked into his summer blue eyes wishing he could read my thoughts. Before I have a chance to speak or hear his voice, the memory shattered with the sound that came from my left.
My mother’s voice drew me back to the present. My eyes opened. “Mercy, don’t sulk. It’s going to be a great day. You’ll see,” she said while patting my head. Somehow the gesture only made me feel like a good dog following her will.
Things had gone back to semi-normal between us only because I’d stopped asking questions. There wasn’t a point to it. She’d told me, in no uncertain terms, that she’d tell me when the time was right. It didn’t matter anyway because I think I gained some control over the demon that lived inside me.
With my fists on my cheeks and my elbows planted on the counter, I met her eyes with the broodiness I felt. I couldn’t stop myself from lashing out. “You’re only saying that because I’ve sworn off boys again.” The petulant tone of my voice was venomous at best.
Her face filled with compassion, which only deepened my foul mood. “Mercy, it’s for the best,” she said, trying to placate me.
I rolled my eyes and looked around the kitchen that was still so foreign to me. I missed our old house where I knew just where everything went. This kitchen belonged to Flynn and his dad, David. Well, that was true until this past weekend. The wedding made everything official. I was never again going to live in our tiny little house that had been my home for the past seventeen years. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’d found a rhythm in this new space. Cooking was my only solace and all that I really had that made me happy these days. So I’d adapted, giving in again because I really had no choice in the matter.
I shifted my head slightly when my new roommate walked in. Flynn, the resident bad boy at our school, was pure lust on a stick. I could only be grateful he wasn’t walking around half naked like he normally did. His height had him dipping his head in the refrigerator to look for something. His faux Mohawk styled in that sexy messy hair perfection look galled me. When he stood up again, I saw he wore a navy long-sleeved shirt and dark wash jeans. His sleeves were pushed up to the elbow and he looked like a walking ad of high fashion. Even I had to admit he was gorgeous as always this morning.
When the succubus stirred inside me, I sucked in a breath and maybe a little too loudly. Flynn turned his attention back to me before I could hide my expression. He knew he looked good and gave me a sly smile to show that he saw I noticed. When our eyes locked, I turned my head away but not soon enough.
Hate was a strong word, but I had truly hated him for being so arrogant. The girls in the school didn’t help either. We were juniors and you’d think they would be used to him now. But no, they stopped, stared, and parted to give him room to walk or rather swagger. And he would just smile lifting his winter blue eyes in that way he did to show his confidence and expectation that all eyes would be on him.
Opening my fist, I covered my eyes with my hand. I cringed thinking about how I succumbed to his charms just yesterday. For some reason, I’d gone outside to ask Flynn a question. The memory rushed back like the water he’d been using to wash his new car. Well actually, the mammoth thing was a humongous SUV. He’d totaled yet another car, one which he didn't have that long. That one had been a replacement for a previously wrecked vehicle. And like everything else, he’d been rewarded no matter his actions. This time he earned himself a Hummer H2 despite his careless behavior. It doesn't seem fair, but David had a blind eye when it came to Flynn. To hear David tell his reasons for getting him a new car, he wanted his son protected. I couldn’t help but wonder who was protecting the rest of the population with Flynn behind the wheel.
With my eyes closed underneath my hand, I let the events of yesterday afternoon take root in vivid color. It had been a warm pre-spring day, and Flynn was taking advantage. He was washing his car even though it would have been easier to take it to be professionally done. Boys and their cars, I didn’t understand it. When I’d walked outside and saw him, my mind went completely blank. I forgot my question while taking in his appearance.
“What’s up?” he’d asked me, looking up from his crouch position with a crooked half grin.
“Um,” I said desperately trying to remember what I’d wanted. My eyes were glued to an eight pack of well-defined muscles in his abdomen. How did I know there were eight? Because I counted them. I blinked several times trying to regain my composure. I hated myself for being flustered at his attractiveness. He got
enough of that at school. I didn’t want to add to his ego. I tucked my hands in the pockets of my cutoff shorts I’d worn to take advantage of a little sun. Stupidly, I said, “You need some help?”
His grin only widened. The next thing I knew, he stood and had the spray nozzle of the water hose pointed at me like a weapon. At once, my hands were in the air in a gesture for leniency. Almost immediately, my too thin cotton tee-shirt was sopping wet. He laughed. I lunged. We both ended up in the grass tussling over the water hose. We rolled a few times while the water still sprayed us, only making us magnets for grass clippings. Rapidly, they were pressed all over us like green fur. Just when things might have gotten awkward with us rolling on the ground together, I managed to wrench the hose from him. My victory was most likely because he’d been caught up in a fit of laughter at my anger. I pushed away from him, fumbling to my feet. Clicking off the hose, I managed to keep it aimed it at him. I used my free hand to wipe strands of my wet hair from my face.
Panic crept over me when something in his eyes changed. The playfulness that had been in the air now seemed to be gone. His stare, almost primal, looked hungry.
“Flynn, if you take one more step,” I barked.
He cracked a boisterous laugh and said, “What are you going to do?” His voice was low and gruff. His grin was cunning and telling. Frosted blue eyes gleaming like icicles, promising me what could be. And I knew all too well what that was. I’d kissed him on more than one occasion and it wasn’t a hardship. But I was still in love with his best friend, something we both needed to remember even though Luke and I were no longer together.
He took a tentative step. “Don’t make me hurt you,” I said, as if that would stop him. My hands shook slightly because I was afraid. Afraid of myself. Afraid if he stepped forward, then he might do something we shouldn’t. Would I have the will to stop him?
“What are you going to hurt me with?” he taunted, taking another step forward. His grin said it all. We were cambions which meant we were half human and half demon. He was half incubus, and I was part succubus. But we weren’t created equal. Both his parents were cambions, and my mother was but my dad was human. That meant Flynn like our parents had to survive on the life force of human given through an act of lust, even a kiss. I, on the other hand, didn’t need to feed to survive. For that I was extremely grateful.
Fortunately or unfortunately, our only weapons were lust-related. We were possibly the sorriest supernatural being out there, in my opinion. So two months ago, I began taking self-defense classes. I wasn’t sure that I would ever be able to best a full demon, but maybe I could put up a better fight.
My hands were now steady as I remembered my training. There were a few key moves from my class I’d learned thus far. Flynn was in my range. I matched his step forward and shot my foot in between his. Then quickly, I swept my foot out to the right and forced his foot from the ground resulting in him losing his balance. He wasn’t expecting it and easily went down. I moved to stand over him to gloat. With my triumphant grin at how effortlessly I'd gained an advantage with that simple move, I replied, “That’s what I’m going to do.”
“Ouch,” he moaned. His pouty look and grimace of pain had me convinced. I guess I’m soft like that. Suddenly, I was on my knees beside him thinking that maybe he’d fallen on a hard patch of ground or rock and really hurt himself.
“Are you ok?” I asked, my tone becoming remorseful.
His hand moved from his back where he’d been rubbing and took my hand that held the sprayer. I still kept my finger on the trigger just in case. He looked at me sorrowfully and I, like a dummy fell for it.
“Do you have a Band-Aid?” he asked.
My eye widened. “Are you bleeding?” I questioned while reaching for his other hand to see if there was blood on his fingers. In doing so, I was bent over his chest crosswise. We weren’t touching except for our hands.
When he spoke, I turned my head to meet his eyes. It was then I knew I’d been duped. His devious grin had returned replacing the sullen look he’d been giving me moments before. “No, but I’m sure I skinned something when I fell for you.”
I rolled my eyes. I should have known. It only took a minute for my itching finger to trigger a shooting stream of water into his waiting face. At the same time, I scrambled back. But he’d held on, only using one hand to divert the spray of water. He tugged me to him and now I was caught off balance. I landed back across his torso. This time, my body was pressed to his warm one.
“You,” I started to say something using a slew of SAT words I’d learned. That would be more effective against him than any four-letter words I could say. I knew whatever I said, his retort would include the nickname “Webster” he’d given me. A string of widely unused words was hanging at the tip of my tongue when someone else’s voice preceded mine.
“So what are you two up to?” a voice said from behind me. We froze. I recognized the voice immediately. It carried a hint of Scottish lilt, which was hidden most of the time. Sebastian. I didn’t have to see the tall, dark-haired and dazzling guy behind me to imagine him standing there. Flynn’s arm was across my back. The ground beneath us was wet and muddy. We were a mess of greens and browns stuck together. I clicked off the nozzle before I lifted up my head in an attempt to turn towards Sebastian. My vision was filled with someone but not with him. I couldn’t help but wonder when he’d gotten here. His arrival had been silent.
My body tensed. The view of Flynn and I didn’t look good. I could read that much in Luke’s eyes framed by a tousle of golden curls. But he held his tongue as I gazed at his beautiful face. So what could he possibly say? Things between us hadn't changed. Flynn and I had been caught by not one person but by both Luke and Sebastian. Flynn must have turned and saw Luke because he let go of me like my body was made of flames. The flush in my face confirmed the heat that crashed over me was from more than one stimuli. Immediately, I rolled away and sat up as fast as I could manage. Arms came around me from behind and helped me to my feet as I continued to stare at Luke. His gaze captured mine. Even though I wanted badly to turn from him, I found I couldn’t.
I saw the regret in his eyes that mirrored my own. I loved him more than I was willing to admit. But we couldn’t be together. I loved him enough to let him go. Luke stepped forward giving Flynn a hand up and the tension between the four of us was thick. You’d think that Luke and Sebastian pulled Flynn and me apart from a fist fight. We all just stood saying nothing. Awkward moments passed while I ponder how not too long ago I could have had my pick of any one of them. They were each stunning in their own way. My eyes were finally able to lift away from Luke, who was no longer looking at me but glowering at the boy behind me. I looked at Flynn, who looked a little sheepish.
Sebastian finally did something none of us had yet to do. He broke the tension. He rapidly turned me to him, easily lifted me off my feet tossing me over his shoulder in a show of strength.
“What,” I said out of sheer surprise.
“We should be off,” using the full force of his natural Scottish accent he hid most of the time. I didn’t have time to speak or look at the two boys who were left behind. Because Sebastian parted time and space and absconded us directly to my bathroom with only a thought. He was a full demon. One of his gifts was to defy physics and go wherever he wanted in seconds.
He put me down. I pushed at his chest. Apparently, he wasn’t expecting it because he staggered slightly back into the counter. “Why’d you do that?” I said unperturbed by his expression of confusion.
He huffed out a laugh. “Lass, you were shivering and it was doing you no good staying," he said flatly. Still, he used that seductive accent.
I frowned. I didn’t remember shivering. But, when I looked down at my arm, goose bumps plagued my skin. I looked back into those vacant eyes of his. It only made me shiver more. “You made it look like,” I began.
His eyes darkened. “Like something was going on between us,” he finished. He looked at
me intently daring me to answer in the affirmative.
“Yes,” I said, except my conviction was gone. It seemed unfair to punish him for my own doubts over my choices. Watching my foot making circle patterns on the floor, I muttered more to myself Stupid absconding Scottish demon, under my breath.
Abruptly, he stood and crossed the distance between us. Lifting my face to his, he placed his hands on either side of my face. I pressed my hands flat against the wall behind me to steady myself. “Is there something going on between us?” he asked, capturing my attention.
I stopped breathing. He was one word away from my unspoken mouth. I was reminded of the day when I had returned to the land of the living. The day Flynn made his intentions quite clear by kissing me. Then Paul left and hadn’t spoken to me since. Luke told me for the first time he loved me only moments before he broke up with me. I’d given Flynn hell. Sebastian, on the other hand, showed up just when I’d sworn off boys, my most vulnerable moment. My heart had been open in ways it shouldn’t have been. He leaned in just like this very moment. But Flynn had come rumbling around the corner and the spell had been broken with Sebastian leaning back just a little. I’d fled the scene. The kiss never happened and here we were again.
Waiting for Mercy (Cambions) Page 1
