Drop Dead Demons (23 page)

“I told you if I don’t come home my parents will freak.” My whisper sounded loud in the morning silence as Ayden and I crouched outside our backyard gate. Despite the arrival of the sun, our breath misted in the cold air as we continued to argue. 

“And I told
you
,” Ayden insisted, “if you show up looking like
that
your parents will freak even more. Come on, we’ll call from my house, say training went late. You can clean up, and I’ll take you to school.”

He started to turn back toward his car like we’d settled the matter.

“But I wasn’t supposed to be training,” I reminded him. “Aunt M will go on high alert. Plus, if they think training leaves me looking like this,” I gestured over my body, “with all the cuts and bruises, that will be the end of it.” 

But what could we do? Sneaking in my bedroom window was out since too many of my family were milling about upstairs. Even if I could slip in and ditch the ripped clothes, tackle the bride of Frankenstein hairstyle, and clean off the overall sewage stench, there was still the matter of multiple injuries. I was a supernaturally fast healer, but not supersonic.

My parents would notice. And freakage would ensue.

Ayden paused, his expression mirroring my frustration. “We’ll think of something. Here, let me…” He wet the hem of his shirt with his tongue. “You’ve got dirt and —”

When he tried to wipe my face with the spit-soaked fabric, I shied away and gave him a look. “Really? What am I, two?”

“The argument could be made,” he scowled, but dropped the shirt. “Fine. I’m just trying to help. You can’t hide this. And if they think the guys and I are involved,” he made an effort to quell his rising voice, “your parents will never let you spend time with us again. Watch out!” Ayden tugged me down out of sight.

I peeked through the fence. Dad jogged around the side of the house in sweats just back from his morning run.

Ayden was right. I couldn’t hide this and if they thought — wait a minute. Ohhh, yes. He
was
right. A calculating smile prowled onto my mouth.

Ayden shook his head. “Aurora, whatever you’re thinking, don’t. We can try something else. Anything else.”

I snatched up dirt, leaves, and twigs and littered them all over my hair and clothes. “You’re brilliant.”

“No. I’m really not.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Nothing good ever comes after that statement.”

“Have a little faith.” I stood and gathered my bike.

Ayden pawed at me to keep me down. “He’ll see you!”

“Go home.” I spoke through the side of my mouth. “I’ll meet you at school. I’ll be late, but don’t worry.”

Ayden reached for me. “What are you doing?!”

I banged my bike through the backyard gate before he could stop me. From the sounds behind, Ayden’s faith was in crisis, but I ignored him. 

“Dad!” I shouted.

“Hey, sweetie.” He waved. “How was the ride?” He took in my appearance and turned the color of glue. “Oh, my God!”

Someone nudged me awake from the kind of dead-to-the-world sleep I hadn’t enjoyed in days. No dreaming, no nightmares. It was glorious.

“Miss Lahey?”

A man’s voice. Didn’t recognize it. Who dared disturb my slumber?

The side of my face still rested on my arm, but my eyes opened, and after a moment, focused on Logan. Since when did he sound so old?

Something cut through my vision, and my second period teacher was leaning over me.

“I understand you were late this morning because of an accident.” His voice seemed far away. “You do look a bit worse for wear. Your parents requested we call if you showed any signs of fatigue. I think this qualifies.”

“No.” My head shot up. Too fast. Ow. I winced. Pain. In my head, arms, shoulders. Oh, heck, pretty much everywhere.

Logan flicked his fingers at his lips. I got the message and wiped a web of drool hanging from the corner of my mouth. That got a hearty snicker from my classmates.

“I’m fine,” I slurped. “Just a little tired. My dad checked me out at the hospital, nothing’s broken, and I have no dizziness or nausea, no signs of concussion. Please don’t call them. I’d like to stay.”

The teacher looked doubtful. “Some might say wanting to stay at school
is
a sign of concussion.” The class rumbled a collective chuckle. “But fine. If you feel poorly, you’ll let someone know?”

“Absolutely.”

My face was hot. From pain or embarrassment, couldn’t be sure. I felt a cool breeze come out of nowhere and saw Logan’s fingers moving surreptitiously. I smiled my gratitude.

I stayed awake through the rest of the period, mostly due to Logan slicing an artic breeze my way when consciousness faltered. The ending bell was like a razor to my head. I rubbed my temples as my classmates meandered out.

“Sure you’re okay?” Logan put my books in my backpack and led me out. “Ayden told us what happened. He’s kind of…worried. The tunnels are no place to go alone. Especially for…” he lowered his voice, “a Divinicus. You should have called me or Jayden.”

“Divinicus.” I stopped, remembering the book I found with the double spiral on the cover. It was still in my backpack which I snatched from Logan and started rummaging through. I found the mechanical manuals on top and handed them over. “Have Jayden take a look at these.” I kept foraging for the smaller spiral covered one. “And there’s another I’m hoping he can translate…”

If I could find it. I should clean this thing out.

“Hey!” some girl waved sharply as she cut into the room.

Glasses, brunette, eyes dark, big and exotic. I knew her, but there was a monkey wrench lodged in the gears of my brain.

“Crap, what’s her name?” I said.

“Natasha,” Logan said without hesitation.

I raised my brows at him. The little ghost blushed and adjusted his coat.

I smiled. “Well, well, well.” 

“Is Matthias taking you to gym today?” Natasha asked.

“I hope not,” I said.

She frowned. “Know where he is?”

“Bet Logan could help you find him.” I clapped the little guy on the shoulder. “Right, Logan?”

Logan gawked with eyes worthy of Bambi staring down a rabid T-rex and lost what little color his cheeks had moments ago. He opened his mouth. And squeaked. Like a field mouse.

It was painful to watch.

“No time,” Natasha said. “I’ve got debate practice through lunch.” She pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket and held it out to Logan. “Can you get this to him?” Without waiting for an answer, she tucked the paper into his breast pocket, patted his head, said, “Thanks!” and left.

He stared after her.

I shook my head. “Explain to me how
Jayden
was the only one who almost failed his Seduction course.”

“Logan.” Ayden’s voice cut across the room, so harsh in tone, Logan flinched. “I’ve got it from here.”

I turned and smiled, closing my backpack. “Hey.” 

Ayden didn’t smile back. He waited in the doorway, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was blocking most of it. He wouldn’t move. Students had to contort themselves past him, but no one complained since his demeanor suggested he might snap their necks if they dared.

With a hard frown and nostrils flaring, his dark brown eyes flickered over me, assessing, cold. Logan nudged me forward. Silent, Ayden took my backpack, then my elbow, and led me away. 

“I’ll come with you,” Logan offered, but one brutal look from Ayden stopped him in his tracks. “Or not,” he muttered then gave me a faltering smile. “I’ll, uh, see you at P.E.” 

I tried to smile back, but Ayden already had us weaving through the crowded hallway.

Studying his profile, since he wouldn’t look at me, Ayden looked haggard, the angles beneath those Himalayan cheekbones more pronounced than usual, almost sunken, and dark circles hung beneath his eyes. He may have splashed some water on his face and through his hair, but no shower or shave.

You’d think after a visit with Bancroft and his insta-healing powers Ayden would look better, more caffeine-infused than coffin-ready.

Based on the dirt and some leftover demon body part splatter caked to the denim, the jeans were the same he’d worn last night. Or was it this morning? He’d changed his ripped T-shirt to one that he probably borrowed from Tristan since it was too small, clinging to every muscle of his torso.

He smelled of sweat and leather. Somehow still not unpleasant.

Unlike his mood. He was angry, wound tight, body rigid, as if every movement had to be controlled so he wouldn’t detonate. 

“Morning,” I said in a cheery voice, hoping to penetrate the gloom. I hadn’t seen him since the backyard so maybe he didn’t know how well my plan had worked out. “My dad took me to the hospital for a check-up. X-rays, the whole nine yards. You know how he is. But I’m good. Superficial stuff. Except for the puncture on the shoulder.” I tapped a finger near my collarbone and rolled my shoulder. Felt a dull pain. “But that only needed a couple of stitches.”

     He stared straight ahead, eyes scanning the crowd. A muscle ticked in his jaw. When he finally spoke, it was in a frigid tone. “I know.”

Wow. Two whole syllables. I felt like rolling my eyes, but refrained. In his present grumpy state, it didn’t seem like he’d appreciate the gesture. I plastered on a smile.

“Did you also know that I told my parents that I went bike riding in the mountains and took a terrible tumble off the trail and into the stream?”

“Nope.” His mouth hardly moved.

Uh-oh. Syllable length deteriorating. Not a good sign. This was ridiculous. “Gosh, have I been a bad girl?”

Dark humor settled over him.  “Don’t play with me.”

“Funny,” I said coyly, “I thought you liked it when I played with you.”

“Aurora, I’m being incredibly patient,” he ground out.

“‘Incredibly’ may be stretching it,” I said. 

His fingers tightened on my arm and heat rippled off his body in waves. The rims of his pupils glowed orange. So I did what any sane individual would do when handling unstable explosives. I yanked him into a utility closet amid a pungent aroma of highly-flammable cleaning supplies and jumped in with him.

“Hey!” Ayden stumbled back, sent a mop clattering to the floor, and finally
thumped
against the shelving that lined the back wall.

“What’s the big deal?” I shut the door and leaned against it, arms folded. “As far as I can see, it’s all good. My plan was brilliant. Now they want me to always have workout buddies. Like you guys.” I made a face. “Or Dad. But that’s not the end of the world. Lucian and Luna were also offered up as sacrifices, but I can ixnay that.”

“Aurora.” He was fighting for patience.

“What?” I was fighting a growing irritation at the fact that he didn’t appreciate my genius. “Crisis averted. Except for all this brouhaha.” I made a gesture to encompass his attitude. “Jeez, relax.”

“You still don’t get it.” His words were clipped. “Even after last night, our talk in the library and the colossal blunder you nearly walked into on your own—”

“I take offense to the word
colossal
—” 

“—you are still shutting me out!”

“—and to the word
blunder.”

He leaned in close enough for me to see a vein throbbing in his temple and dried blood smudged along his hairline. “Instead of being with you at the hospital, I had to hide and skulk around the emergency room like some delinquent, eavesdropping, scared to show my face because I didn’t know what you’d told your parents. Then I had to trail you again here and wait hours before I was close enough to make sure you were okay. ”  

“First of all, I thought you’d go to Father Bancroft while I was at the hospital. And second, if you’ve been following me it wasn’t even one hour.” I smirked. “We’ll have to work on your sense of ti—” 

He slammed his hand into the edge of a shelf. The metal dented.  

“This isn’t a joke! And I can’t go to Bancroft. He’ll ask too many questions.” He backed away, his hands coming up to squeeze the sides of his head like he was trying to keep his brain from exploding. “Our regular avenues of help are cut off. Everything’s off balance. I’m scared to death. Then you keep throwing yourself into danger while I blunder along, scrambling to protect you, but I can’t.” He slumped against shelving, rattling plastic and sloshing liquids, bringing a scent of bleach through the air as his voice became haggard. “Because you keep treating me like…
I’m
the threat.”

His dark chocolate eyes closed, but not before I saw the pain they held.

Ah.
That
was the big deal.

My own irritation with his behavior started to dissipate. Because his anger wasn’t an element, it was a compound. See, I pay attention in science. An emotional compound of fear, helplessness, and hurt because I didn’t trust him. The pain from that wasn’t hard to imagine given that it wasn’t that long ago
I
was out of the loop because he didn’t trust me.

He was silent but for long, slow breaths. I reached out and slipped my hand in his. He didn’t open his eyes, but his fingers entwined in mine.

I leaned my shoulder against his and said quietly, “I’m sorry.”

After a long moment, he shook his head and said in a rough voice, “Never mind. What’s important is that you’re alright. Your dad fixed you up nicely.”

I squeezed his hand. “He can fix you up too. Let’s call him.”

“He’ll ask too many questions. And getting him involved could put him in danger. Neither of us wants that. I’ll be fine.”

We sat in quiet silence, then he gathered me to him, arms wrapping tight, head resting on mine.

“When you’re Mandatum,” he said, “the one thing you can always trust is your team, and you’re supposed to be on ours now.” He kissed my hair, then took my face in both his hands and pulled back so he could look into my eyes, his expression intense. “You’ve got to trust that we’ve got your back, trust
me
, and quit keeping secrets and going off on your own halfcocked. Understand?”

“Yes,” I said.

And I did. Intellectually. It was just putting the trust factor into emotional action where I was having trouble.

“But you’re wrong about one thing.” I wagged a finger. “This time I was fully and completely cocked.” I finished with a confident nod.

Ayden made a choking sound. Sputtered then laughed. Once he managed to gain control, his head tilted sideways and he gazed at me. Then he lifted one brow in a highly suggestive slant.

“Fully and completely
cocked
, is it?” Ayden said. “My, my, my. Miss Lahey, the things you say.”

Oh.

A blush thundered my cheeks and rolled down my neck.

“Uhhh, that didn’t come out right. I meant…” Really, Aurora? My hands slapped to my face and slowly slid down, hoping to wipe away the mortification. Wasn’t working. I gave him a pleading look. “You know what I meant.”

“Oh, well,” he blustered with mock dismay, “I’m thinking all sorts of things about what you meant, and I am absolutely
scandalized
.”

“Ayden!”

“Fine.” He glanced heavenward, his head shaking slightly, an exasperated smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “But when this latest crisis is over, you and I are— ”

“— having a serious make-out session!” Blake burst through the door and filled what little was left of the tiny closet. He grinned with satisfaction. “I told them I’d find you. Can I join in?”

“No.” Ayden elbowed us past the big guy and led me down the hall toward third period, his arm around my waist. “Get your own girlfriend.”

“Why can’t we share? You’re such a prude.” Blake lumbered behind us. “Besides, you two aren’t for realsies anyway so she’s fair game. And I’m the best gamer in town.”

Ayden snorted. “Even if you had game, which you don’t, she’s not fair anymore.”

I gave him an odd look.

He blustered, “Uh, I mean, of course you’re fair.”

“Just fair?” Blake said. “Weak, dude.”