With All My Soul
Page 19
His free handMarcos handslid down the side of my arm, and his pupils dilated even farther when my nails broke through the skin on his arm. I made a quick wish for luck, then threw my knee up into his groin, as fast and hard as I could.
Avari yelped, and it was the most satisfying sound Id ever heard. His hand fell away from my throat, and he hunched over the hopefully paralyzing pain.
That is a trait exclusive to the human male.
Tod laughed out loud, and I looked up just as he appeared behind the demon in stolen flesh. He swung something with both hands, hard enough that the muscles in his arms stood out against his skin, and his weapon slammed into Marcos head with a dull thunk. Marcos legs folded, and he collapsed on the gym floor.
Tod stood behind him, holding Emmas three-inch-thick chemistry book. You know, next time you text to tell me you may need help, I could get here a lot faster if you also tell me where you are. Im a reaper, not a necromancer. Am I going to have to have you fitted with a GPS chip?
Sorry. I didnt know where Id be. I glanced at poor Marco, thoroughly unconscious and probably in a lot of pain, then stepped over him and threw my arms around Tod. And thank you. Howd you find me?
I tried about eight different places, then I found Luca. He said it felt like you were in the gym.
As a necromancer, Luca was like a compass for all things dead but not yet decaying. Including reapers. And me.
Tod let me go and ran one hand through his short curls, and the blue-eyed gaze that met mine was intense. Scared. And kinda...angry. You have to stop doing this, Kaylee. Youre dead, not invincible. Reclaiming souls when Madeline sends backup is one thing. Thats your job. I get that. But you cant just go around confronting hellions on your own. Even in a human body theyre dangerous. Especially when that human body is bigger than yours, and theyre all bigger than yours.
The fear in his voice made my chest ache. I didnt know he was possessed. And anyway, I can handle myself. See? I made a sweeping gesture toward Marcos unconscious form. Now he knows that being a teenage guy isnt all getting high and threatening girls.
Yeah, and that was awesome, even if I cant help but sympathize with the pain hes going to be in when he wakes up. But Avari will be ready for that next time. One of these days youre going to get in too deep, and Im not going to get there fast enough, and...bad things are going to happen, and that will kill me more than my actual death did.
I think I was born in too deep, and bad things happen every day. Sometimes I have to stab hellions. Sometimes I have to frame friends for murder, and stab evil math teachers, and watch my best friend die. Again. We deal with it, then wemove on.
Well, maybe next time you could let the bad things find you, instead of searching them out for yourself. Or take someone with you. I know Nash isnt as much fun to look at, but hed be decent backup, and even with a broken arm, Sabines a force to be reckoned with.
But Im not?
Thats not what Im saying. I think the evidence speaks for itself. He glanced pointedly at Marco, still unconscious on the floor. But six hands are better than two. Especially when my hands arent close enough to get to you.
Theyre close enough now... I pulled him toward me, and I could see that he was trying to resist a smile. To stay mad, to emphasize his point.
Thats not gonna work.
I went up on my toes to kiss him, and he groaned. Do you really think this is appropriate on school grounds?
Nope. I wrapped my arms around his neck. And I happen to know there isnt an appropriate thought running through your head right now.
Or any other time. Tod pulled me close and held me so tight my ribs almost hurt, but I didnt want him to let go. Ever. Just promise me youll be more careful.
I promise.
So... Tod tried on a grin, and I bent to pick up Ems textbook from where hed dropped it. What did Tall, Dark, and Evil want?
The usual. Devour my soul. Mutilate my corpse. Dissect my psyche. Just another day in the most dangerous high school in the country. Of its size. I nudged Marcos arm with my foot. Can you help me get him to the nurse? Hes going to wake up with several unexplained injuries, and I dont want to be in the room when he starts asking questions.
* * *
That night, Tod, my dad, and I made a conscious effort to keep our own emotions in check, so we wouldnt accidentally trigger Emmas as-yet-uncontrollable syphon ability. Which wasnt so much an ability at that point as a constant trial.
I think we did pretty well. Until around ten-thirty, when Em was doing homework on her bed and Tod and I were stretched out on my bed, not doing my homework. After about ten minutes of what I would categorize as PG-rated not-quite-adult content, she threw a balled-up pair of socks at us and said if we didnt go away she would jump my boyfriend herself.
Evidently we werent very good at keeping those emotions in check. And since I did not want my best friend syphoning anything quite that intimate, we took the party to Tods place.
Tuesday morning, Emma was in much better spirits. We picked up coffee on the way to school and met Nash and Sabine in one corner of the cafeteria, as far from the breakfast eaters as we could get.
Avari yelped, and it was the most satisfying sound Id ever heard. His hand fell away from my throat, and he hunched over the hopefully paralyzing pain.
That is a trait exclusive to the human male.
Tod laughed out loud, and I looked up just as he appeared behind the demon in stolen flesh. He swung something with both hands, hard enough that the muscles in his arms stood out against his skin, and his weapon slammed into Marcos head with a dull thunk. Marcos legs folded, and he collapsed on the gym floor.
Tod stood behind him, holding Emmas three-inch-thick chemistry book. You know, next time you text to tell me you may need help, I could get here a lot faster if you also tell me where you are. Im a reaper, not a necromancer. Am I going to have to have you fitted with a GPS chip?
Sorry. I didnt know where Id be. I glanced at poor Marco, thoroughly unconscious and probably in a lot of pain, then stepped over him and threw my arms around Tod. And thank you. Howd you find me?
I tried about eight different places, then I found Luca. He said it felt like you were in the gym.
As a necromancer, Luca was like a compass for all things dead but not yet decaying. Including reapers. And me.
Tod let me go and ran one hand through his short curls, and the blue-eyed gaze that met mine was intense. Scared. And kinda...angry. You have to stop doing this, Kaylee. Youre dead, not invincible. Reclaiming souls when Madeline sends backup is one thing. Thats your job. I get that. But you cant just go around confronting hellions on your own. Even in a human body theyre dangerous. Especially when that human body is bigger than yours, and theyre all bigger than yours.
The fear in his voice made my chest ache. I didnt know he was possessed. And anyway, I can handle myself. See? I made a sweeping gesture toward Marcos unconscious form. Now he knows that being a teenage guy isnt all getting high and threatening girls.
Yeah, and that was awesome, even if I cant help but sympathize with the pain hes going to be in when he wakes up. But Avari will be ready for that next time. One of these days youre going to get in too deep, and Im not going to get there fast enough, and...bad things are going to happen, and that will kill me more than my actual death did.
I think I was born in too deep, and bad things happen every day. Sometimes I have to stab hellions. Sometimes I have to frame friends for murder, and stab evil math teachers, and watch my best friend die. Again. We deal with it, then wemove on.
Well, maybe next time you could let the bad things find you, instead of searching them out for yourself. Or take someone with you. I know Nash isnt as much fun to look at, but hed be decent backup, and even with a broken arm, Sabines a force to be reckoned with.
But Im not?
Thats not what Im saying. I think the evidence speaks for itself. He glanced pointedly at Marco, still unconscious on the floor. But six hands are better than two. Especially when my hands arent close enough to get to you.
Theyre close enough now... I pulled him toward me, and I could see that he was trying to resist a smile. To stay mad, to emphasize his point.
Thats not gonna work.
I went up on my toes to kiss him, and he groaned. Do you really think this is appropriate on school grounds?
Nope. I wrapped my arms around his neck. And I happen to know there isnt an appropriate thought running through your head right now.
Or any other time. Tod pulled me close and held me so tight my ribs almost hurt, but I didnt want him to let go. Ever. Just promise me youll be more careful.
I promise.
So... Tod tried on a grin, and I bent to pick up Ems textbook from where hed dropped it. What did Tall, Dark, and Evil want?
The usual. Devour my soul. Mutilate my corpse. Dissect my psyche. Just another day in the most dangerous high school in the country. Of its size. I nudged Marcos arm with my foot. Can you help me get him to the nurse? Hes going to wake up with several unexplained injuries, and I dont want to be in the room when he starts asking questions.
* * *
That night, Tod, my dad, and I made a conscious effort to keep our own emotions in check, so we wouldnt accidentally trigger Emmas as-yet-uncontrollable syphon ability. Which wasnt so much an ability at that point as a constant trial.
I think we did pretty well. Until around ten-thirty, when Em was doing homework on her bed and Tod and I were stretched out on my bed, not doing my homework. After about ten minutes of what I would categorize as PG-rated not-quite-adult content, she threw a balled-up pair of socks at us and said if we didnt go away she would jump my boyfriend herself.
Evidently we werent very good at keeping those emotions in check. And since I did not want my best friend syphoning anything quite that intimate, we took the party to Tods place.
Tuesday morning, Emma was in much better spirits. We picked up coffee on the way to school and met Nash and Sabine in one corner of the cafeteria, as far from the breakfast eaters as we could get.
