Reign Fall (23 page)

Panic swelled in my chest, followed by a double dose of guilt.

I couldn’t even blame Rhys. Not totally. Sure, he was a jerk, but I was the one who’d gone back on our stupid, stupid deal.

I walked over to the evergreen and kicked it. Then I swore because that really hurt my foot and a bunch of snow fell on my head.

I had to go after Rhys and...apologize.

Ugh
.

Again, someone had put their trust in me and I’d let them down. I refused to kiss him out of pride and stubbornness, not for any good reason. Not even because Michael asked me not to kiss Rhys ever again. I’d said no because I just hadn’t felt like it at the moment.

Now I had to fix this before it became irreparably broken. I had to get that book, and then I needed to convince Rhys to take me to the Faery Realm so I could run across the field to get to the Shadowlands.

I kicked the tree again.

My phone chimed and, still keeping Rhys’s departing form in view through the falling snow, I fished into my pocket and answered it.

“Yeah?”

“Nikki, where are you?” It was my mother.

Crap.
“Out.”

“When are you coming home?”

“Soon. Really, really soon.”

“It’s snowing. Do you need me to pick you up somewhere? I can come get you.”

“No, it’s okay,” I said. “I’m not far away. I won’t be long, I promise.”

“Okay, hon. See you soon.”

I hung up and slipped the phone back in my pocket. When I looked up, Rhys was gone. My breath caught.

Where did he go? He was in view only a second ago.

I let out a very long, very shaky sigh before I pulled my phone back out to scroll through my messages. I quickly texted him, hesitating only briefly before I hit send.

I’m sorry. Come back.

The Italian restaurant...the nice clothes Rhys wore. The “reserved” card on the table I’d barely noticed. The smile Rhys gave me as I sat down across from him...

It
had
been a date. And after we’d finished with dinner he’d planned to give me the book and...then I would have kissed him.

If I liked kissing Rhys without mistletoe to blame for it, then what did that mean?

My cheeks grew very warm just considering it. This wasn’t supposed to be so confusing for me. I liked Michael. I wanted
Michael
as my boyfriend, nobody else. Especially not somebody I found endlessly annoying and frustrating. Someone who’d told me he hated demons from the very first day we met.

Rhys hated me right now. I was quite sure of it.

The thought made my heart twist.

Besides, how could I even think about any of this while Michael faced the wrath of my father in the Shadowlands castle? And that was the happy end of the bad stuff he’d have to deal with now that his secret was out. All thanks to his misplaced trust in yours truly.

And I had no idea how to fix it all and make sure everyone I cared about was happy and safe.

Rhys would text me back. We’d meet up again and everything would be okay. I’d just have to deal with one thing at a time. Too many might overwhelm me.

I headed in the direction he’d gone in, but found that my path was now blocked.

Melinda stood right in front of me.

“What a coincidence,” she said.

I studied her for a moment with surprise. “I’ll say.” My shocked gaze fell to the sword she held at her side, then slid back up to her face.

“So,” she began, “about that crazy delusion I had earlier today about you being a demon...” I swallowed hard. “What about it?”

She raised the sword so it pointed in my direction and her eyes narrowed. “Nice try, demon.”
Chapter 17

My best friend was pointing a sharp sword at me and didn’t look afraid to use it.

I could barely find enough breath to speak. “Melinda, let’s talk.”

“Better make it quick. I don’t have any more patience for your lies.” This couldn’t be happening. She’d believed me this afternoon, I saw it in her eyes. What changed? “Why are you doing this?”

“Why am I doing this?” she repeated. Her voice was dry, calm, and totally steady. However, her eyes blazed with fury and indignation. “I pieced it all together, Nikki. And I saw very clearly that Patrick didn’t lie to me.
You’re
the liar. And
you’re
the demon. What I saw today was real.

The spell showed me your demon form. But the spell only worked once and you managed to convince me what I saw was wrong. But it wasn’t. Patrick may be annoying and demanding, but he’s never lied to me. Not once. But you have. Over and over again.” I wanted to convince her she was wrong, but I knew she wouldn’t believe me this time. I saw it on her face.

She
knew.

So maybe my commitment to denial was completely wrong. I had to do something different now. What I’d been trying to avoid since day one when it came to Melinda. More lies weren’t going to get me anywhere.

That left me with one alternative. Something I hadn’t been using too much lately since it never seemed to be very helpful.

The truth.

Sadly, I realized it was my last resort.

“I’m
half
demon,” I said slowly, fearfully watching her for any sudden movements. I might not be able to take on a trained demon slayer with a pointy weapon, but I was a very fast runner when I had to be. “I only found out a month ago, just after my birthday. My father is a demon.

My mother’s human and completely innocent of everything.” Melinda didn’t speak for a moment, as if surprised I’d said anything at all. “Does she know the truth?”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing myself to remain calm. “No. She knows nothing about this. She doesn’t even know my father was a demon. And I’m really hoping she doesn’t find out any time soon. Hint, hint.”

She snorted. “Don’t even try to make light of this.”

I tried not to focus on the sword, but it was hard to keep my eyes off something so terrifying.

“I’m not. There isn’t anything funny about this, Melinda. And for the record, I knew you were a slayer in training from the day of your Christmas party. I went downstairs and saw the arsenal and the books. I knew your ballet lessons were a lie. So if you want to talk about telling truths, maybe you should look in a mirror sometime.”

“What’s your plan?” she asked sharply, ignoring the accusation. “Are you here to take over the human world and enslave mankind?”

I blinked with surprise. “No, thanks. That sounds like a lot of work. Look, Melinda, I know you have the wrong impression. You think demons are all bad. Well,” I cleared my throat nervously, “some of them are. Some are really bad and totally live up to their reputations, which is why they’re not in the human world. They are stuck in Hell and the Underworld to keep it safe here. But others aren’t evil. Like me. I’m exactly who you know me to be. I’m your best friend.”

“Shut up,” she hissed and jabbed her weapon toward me. “Don’t even say that. You’re my enemy.”

I took a big step back from her, almost going over on my ankle. “No, I’m not. I know Patrick sensed the truth, but did you have any kind of idea of what I was before today? No, you didn’t.

You’ve never doubted my friendship before. Don’t start now.”

“I’ve only known you a few months. I don’t know you at all.” I winced at that. A reminder that, compared to Larissa and Brittany, I was still the new girl around town. “You do know me. And deep down, you know that. I would never, ever hurt you in a million years. Did I lie today? Of course I did. I knew I had to protect myself and my mother from you and your secret society.”

“What about your father?”

“He’s not around.” I swept my gaze around the area. We were alone. No cars, no pedestrians.

Just the two of us, a soft snowfall, a path, a floodlight to light up the area, and trees flanking us on all sides.

“Where is he?” she demanded.

“Not here.”

Melinda’s lips thinned. The grip on her sword hadn’t loosened. She held it so tight her knuckles were white. She must have some serious upper body strength because that heavy sword didn’t lower a single inch. “You’re protecting him.”

I shivered and met her gaze full-on. “Of course I am.” Her expression was fierce. “I’m a demon slayer, Nikki. You know what that means.” I did. It meant she was supposed to slay things like me. And I wasn’t sure how to stop this from happening. It had gone too far now, and I was very afraid how this was going to end between us. I never wanted it to come to this.

“Where’s Patrick?” I asked, my heart thudding. A large part of me was worried he was nearby, coaching Melinda like Michael coached me. Waiting to jump out and act as backup the moment she needed it. I’d stand no chance against the two of them.

“Not here,” she said, echoing my earlier comment about my father. I think she was mocking me.

Anger pressed in on all sides. I didn’t want to be afraid, but I was. My best friend had filled me with fear. And that pissed me off. “You didn’t want to invite him along for a fun night out slaying your best friend? Would I be your first kill? You really think you can stick that sword through my heart like it’s no big deal?”

Her upper lip drew back from her teeth. “Don’t try to make me feel guilty here.”

“Why the hell wouldn’t I?” I snapped. “You’re the one who’s signed up to be a murderer.”

“And you’ve signed up to be a demon.”

“Half-demon. And I didn’t have a choice, this is how I was born. I’ve accepted it. You chose to quit being a demon slayer because you hated it. That was a choice. I had no choice.”

“I saw you. Those horrible wings and horns and...it was disgusting.” She shuddered.

It was exactly how I’d felt about my Darkling form in the beginning. I hadn’t known what it meant, it was so different, so scary. Now I knew my disgust hadn’t been because my Darkling form was ugly. It was because it had terrified me.

Melinda wasn’t disgusted. She was afraid. Just as afraid as I was.

She took a step closer to me. I took another step back. I didn’t want to shift form because I knew it would freak her out even more than she already was. But in my human form I lacked the extra strength I desperately needed to defend myself.

I really didn’t want to have to fight my best friend if I could help it. That would mean that one of us was going to lose.

Emotion rose inside me, enough to choke me. Tears burned my eyes.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” My words came out shaky. “And I sure as hell don’t want you to hurt me.”

But what was I supposed to do when she was all ready to play judge, jury, and executioner?

She just glared at me, as if she didn’t believe a word coming out of my mouth.

The snow was coming down thicker, gathering on the ground in a pristine blanket of white.

The park was lit by only a few overhead lamps and a couple other security floodlights, casting spooky shadows all around us. And it was quiet, so quiet, that I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

But then I heard something else. A roar of pain. It was a human voice, but...it was layered with something else, too. Something
not
human.

I recognized the voice immediately and swore under my breath.
Oh, no.

“What was that?” Melinda asked, her gaze darting around, but her sword didn’t waver from pointing at yours truly.

“Trouble,” I said, wringing my hands and looking all around me to pinpoint which direction the sound had come from. “I...uh, have to go.”

Her eyes widened. “Go? No you don’t. We’re having a—”

“Sorry, this’ll have to wait.” I turned and began to run toward the roar.

I hadn’t thought this night could get any worse.

I’d been dead wrong.

Chris Sanders wasn’t too far away, near a thick thatch of evergreens. If nothing else, they’d given him some shelter from the snow. He needed it. He currently knelt on the ground, his back hunched over. Just like me, he wasn’t wearing a coat. His T-shirt strained against his arms and chest. His bare hands dug into the ground as if he was trying to hang on to it as an anchor. My stomach lurched at the sight of him in so much pain.

Every instinct I had told me he was ready to shift into his dragon form.

Right here. Right now.

“Chris,” I gasped, “I need to get you home. Please, what’s your address? Tell me!” He gasped in pain again and shook his head. His bright amber eyes, jarring on his pale and sweaty face, flicked to me. “My mom—she told me some crazy stuff, but I didn’t believe it. I took off and made it here, but I can’t go any further. It hurts too much.” Oh, hell. His mother never told him what to expect—not until tonight when it was going to happen? When he didn’t have any time to prepare himself?

“I’m sorry, Chris.”

“What’s wrong with me? You know. I know you do.”

“You’re going through a—a change. But it’s going to be okay.”

“Change? Into what?”

I swallowed hard. “A dragon.”

He looked at me sharply and actually laughed. It was a sound devoid of any humor. “That’s what she said.”

“She wasn’t lying.”

He shuddered, then swore under his breath. “This is going to hurt real bad, isn’t it?”

“Probably.” When I sank down next to him he turned and grabbed hold of the sleeve of my sweater. His face was sweaty, even though it was so cold out, and he stared at me with those glowing amber eyes.

“Has it found you yet?” he asked. “It’s looking for you.” A chill went down my spine. “What are you talking about?” He stared at me, but his gaze was blank. “You have something it wants. Something it’s desperate to have for itself.”

His vision. The thing with the black wings. I swear, that drawing haunted me and I’d only looked at it a couple of times.

“Is it a Shadow?” I asked him, my voice low. Ever since my nightmare, I’d been desperately afraid that it was Michael. And what happened at the castle today, an echo of that nightmare, hadn’t helped ease my mind at all.

His deep frown turned into a grimace and he pressed his palms to his temples. A light layer of snow had landed on Chris’s hair and shoulders. I brushed it away.

“My head...it hurts so much,” he groaned.