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  What is she doing? I hear faintly, but since I’m not looking at his mouth, I have no idea if he whispered it out loud, or if he was thinking it.

  I continue to listen, and this time, I watch his mouth. To my utter surprise, and frustration, I get this flash inside my head of him pushing me up against the wall, claiming my mouth in a brutal kiss.

  I gasp and look away, embarrassed and irritated about what I just saw. I mean, come on! I know I’m a nineteen-year-old girl that has never even kissed a guy, but I have fantasies, even though I’m not human, but to think of him doing that to me? And for me to feel excited about it? I’m losing it.

  Fuck, she’s blushing, like she knows what I’m thinking. I hear his thought as it flows through my head.

  Suddenly, it all becomes clear as day. His voice is the one I heard in the library, and I just witnessed what he was thinking. I feel better knowing that it wasn’t me who thought it, but I can’t stop thinking about how the image made me feel. I’m instantly embarrassed and pissed off at myself. I need to get away from him. I can’t be thinking of things like this, especially when I don’t even know who or what he is yet.

  Dammit, this is all too much. I need to get out of here and get to class. I can’t skip out on my first day. So, steeling my resolve, I walk around him, brushing my shoulder against him as I pass, hoping I’m giving him the impression that I’m not interested.

  “My name’s Merrick, by the way,” he says, just as I get past him.

  Turning around, I give him a cocky grin. “Good to know.” I walk a few steps backwards and give him a wink before turning around.

  “What do I call you?” he shouts after me.

  This has me laughing, putting a genuine smile on my face. “You don’t,” I shout back, without turning around.

  On my walk to class, I have the urge to turn and see if he’s following me. Merrick. It’s a sexy name for a dark, sexy guy. Shit, I was just flirting with him. I’ve never done that before. What am I thinking? What if he’s a demon and I have to vanquish him? I can’t even think of getting myself involved with anyone right now, especially if they could be a dangerous.

  Don’t get me wrong. I love the thought of my parents, and I don’t begrudge them anything, but there’s no way I’m going to fall in love with a demon like my mother did. I’m already half-demon, so I sure as hell have no intention of bringing anymore evil into my life. It’s hard enough to fight some of my urges that I know aren’t right, or for the good of this world. Sometimes, I just want to be bad, but I know it’s wrong. It may only be a small part of me, but it’s not who I want to be. It’s not who Father Martin raised and trained me to be. I don’t want to disappoint him after everything he’s done for me and my brother.

  Once I find my class, I look at my schedule and double check the room number before heading inside. Not wanting to sit in the front for fear of being called on, but also not wanting to sit in the very back either, I pick a spot right in the middle. This is good, right? Normal students would sit here. God, that’s one thing I hate about this—I’m constantly second-guessing myself. I’m not fucking normal, but I know I need to act that way. And frankly, I have no fucking clue how to do it. I’ve always felt out of place, even at the convent. There has always been something lurking inside of me that I’ve kept secret, even from Cyrus. I don’t want to him to look down on me, or think I’m a horrible person. I need to pull my shit together.

  I’m not evil.

  Maybe if I say it enough, I’ll start to believe it.

  Once I’m situated in my seat, I get out what I’ll need. It’s history, so I shouldn’t have any problems. Part of my training was to know world events, and understand that not everything is accurate or true. For example, the assassination of John F. Kennedy was not orchestrated by a human. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was the president. It was actually because he made a deal with the Devil himself, and didn’t hold up to his end of the bargain. But it’s not like I can tell anyone that.

  Anyway, it’s time to get to work, and I’m not talking about class assignments. I need to start breaking down what I can do first to get us closer to what we’re really here for. I need to talk to students, see what the rumors are, and hopefully find anyone who may have witnessed anything strange, even the events themselves. I’ve already seen one strange incident today, so it’s possible we may be closer than we thought for our first day. One can only hope.

  A shadow falls over me. Since I don’t know anyone here besides my brother, who’s on the other side of campus by now, I can only imagine that it’s Merrick. I’m ready with a witty, sarcastic remark on the tip of my tongue as I look up, but it’s not him. I have no idea who this guy is, but damn, he’s hot! He looks like a Greek God, but I can tell right away that that’s the only thing he has going for him. I can see it in his eyes that there’s nothing good inside of him.

  “Is this seat taken?” he asks.

  “Oh, um...no, but I’d actually prefer to sit alone.” I’m hoping he doesn’t argue with me. I just want to sit here quietly and get through this class. I know I need friends, but he doesn’t seem like they type I would want to know.

  “Aw, come on, beautiful. I won’t distract you...much.” He ends with a cocky smirk that irritates the hell out of me. This guy either doesn’t get told no a lot, or he doesn’t take rejection well.

  “It’s a tempting offer, but I really must decline,” I say and turn my attention back to the things in front of me, dismissing him.

  I hear him grind his teeth. Before I can look up, he’s already taken the seat next to me. Pissed off that he would disregard my answer, I clench my fists. As much as I want to reach behind me for the knife hidden under my shirt and scare the shit out of him, I know I can’t. I try to tell myself that he’s just some pushy dickhead that needs to learn a lesson. I need to keep a low profile, and stabbing him wouldn’t help with our job. I just don’t have the time or patience to deal with self-centered assholes.

  I open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind instead of my fist, when I hear a now familiar voice.

  “She told you she didn’t want your company, Val, so why don’t you do us all a favor and move the fuck on. She’s not your type anyway. She looks like she actually has standards and class.” He ends on a snicker, but I don’t miss his menacing tone.

  “Who the fuck asked you, Rick? I am the guy who can meet her ‘standards,’ unlike you.” He looks over to me and winks.

  I feel my temper flare. I know it’s completely unladylike, but I can’t help myself. This guy is really rubbing me the wrong way. First, it’s what I could see in his eyes. Second was his disrespectful attitude, and now it’s this. I open my mouth to say something—anything—to berate him and call him out on his shit, but Merrick beats me to the punch.

  He doesn’t waste his words on the dumbass who obviously doesn’t listen. Instead, Merrick takes a more physical approach, which is something I wish I were doing, but it’s hot as hell to watch him grab this Val jerk by his shirt and haul him out his seat.

  “Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time, so let me repeat it. Fuck off, Val, or deal with me.” It’s a threat that pisses Val off, but he’s smart enough to back down, at least for now by the look on his face.

  “Whatever. You can have the bitch,” he says, but I have a feeling I haven’t seen the last of Val. Good. Maybe I can work some of my frustrations out on him and use him as a punching bag. Now that would make for some fun.

  “Sorry about that. He’s an ass. He never knows when to take no for an answer.” Merrick says as he takes the now vacant seat beside me. And even though I wanted to have some privacy, I find comfort in him sitting with me. Go fucking figure.

  “I feel like I should say thank you, but I really don’t want to. I’m a firm believer of not doing anything that you don’t want to do. I also feel like I should tell you that I could have handled him, but it was a nice show you put on there, so thanks for that,” I say with a smile. I do appreci
ate the gesture, but I don’t want him to think I’m helpless. Or maybe that’s exactly what I should have him and others thinking. Ugh, I hate this second-guessing bullshit. Maybe I should ask Cyrus later what he thinks. Should I be me, yet a toned down version, or play the helpless female? If he says that I need to play the helpless damsel in distress, I may puke before I punch him. But, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do when on a mission to save the world.

  Merrick opens his mouth to respond, but the professor calls the class to attention. I give him another cocky smile and wink before I tune him out, or pretend to, and pay attention to the lecture. Later, I’ll have to figure out how to assess if Merrick is on the side of good or evil. It really sucks that I’m suddenly interested in getting to know him. If I actually prayed to the God that ripped my mother’s wings from her back, I would pray that he’s human and good. I really don’t want to have to kill him.

  Chapter Three

  Cyrus

  -

  I haven’t seen Emersyn since sociology class this morning, and trust me, I’ve been looking. The entire day, I’ve scanned the faces of every student in every class, hoping to see her again. I can’t get her out of my fucking head, or stop thinking about ways I could make her laugh or blush. She’s beautiful, and from what I saw in her eyes, the most innocent, yet sad, human I have ever met. I want to know why her aura is so fucked up. What could possibly be going on with her? Does she know something about why we’re here?

  Before our parents died, they gave us to Father Martin to raise and protect, but he also saw purpose and hope in us. He kept us safe, but he also taught us the ways of the world. He explained our heritage, and the prophesy he thought we were a part of. He taught us how to fight and kill evil.

  So, when a colleague of his called him a month ago, concerned about the activity surrounding this campus, it was apparent this was a mission for us. With the amount of unsolved cases, Father Martin is convinced it’s demonic, and I have to agree with him. If we don’t start figuring shit out, there’s no telling what will happen to others. I have to stay focused...we have to stay focused.

  Walking in the front door of our house, I find Joey pouring over a bunch of old books. “What are those?”

  She doesn’t even look up as her finger runs along the text. “Books.”

  “I know that, smartass. What are the books about?”

  She finishes scribbling something in her notebook, then raises her head. “The human mind.”

  I snort. “Sounds thrilling.”

  She whips her pen at me, nailing me right between the eyes. Damn, she has great aim, and I can’t help but smirk at her as I rub my forehead.

  “I’m hoping to learn more about how to pick through people’s thoughts, especially with so many in one place. It’s easy with a few people around, but I’m finding it a little difficult to single out just one when I need to. There are just too many voices, so I’m looking for anything that can give me some insight as to how to do it.”

  “That makes sense.” I lift one of the smaller books and flip through the pages. “So, what have you found?”

  “Not one fucking thing,” she sighs.

  I’m not surprised. Our powers aren’t exactly common. I highly doubt we’re going to find them explained in any old, dusty textbook written by humans.

  "Did you have any luck today by chance?”

  Joey looks nervous for a brief moment before the look is gone. "No, not from anyone in particular. I was only able to hear snippets of thoughts from the students around me in class, but I just couldn't lock one down enough to get more. It’s so frustrating."

  For some reason, I feel like she's not telling me everything, but I decide to leave it. I'm not sharing everything either. Fuck, we shouldn't do this. We need to be together on everything, but it’s not like I can reach into her mind and read her thoughts, not like she can to me at any given time. I’m going to have to be careful around her now, that’s for sure.

  “Okay. Well, did you learn anything else today?”

  “Well, um...remember that guy from the office? The one with the dark eyes?”

  Watching her carefully, I nod.

  “I met him today at the library, and then again in class.” She doesn’t offer anything else, so I prod her.

  “And...” What the hell is her problem? This is huge! Is he following her? If so, I'll fucking kill him, human or not. Anyone fucks with Jo, they're dead.

  “And nothing. I met him. He’s an arrogant ass, but I think he may be harmless.”

  “You think? Joey, you can’t just fucking think it. You have to know for sure before we dismiss this fucking clown. And what's with you acting like it's not a big deal? He may not be a demon, but he's sure as hell hiding something.” I’m getting the impression that she’s protecting this guy.

  She flings her hands up in the air. “Well, I don’t know for sure. He was just a cocky asshole, but when an even cockier asshole wouldn’t leave me alone, he stepped in and got him away from me.”

  That has me pausing. “Since when do you need protection from anyone, asshole or not?”

  Joey’s lips press into a thin white line as she glares at me. “I didn’t need his fucking protection, Cy. He just gave it, okay. And what does it matter? We can still look into him, but I think he’s just an asshole, not a demon or murderer.”

  “What about the girl? The one from the office? Did you learn anything from her file?”

  “Other than she’s a perfect student and a good little Catholic girl, not a damn thing.”

  I consider telling her about meeting Emersyn, and the strange aura that surrounded her, but I don’t want to hear Joey’s opinion. She wouldn’t see her innocence as clearly as I do. Something strange is definitely going on there, but I’ll look into that myself, without her help. If I need her, I’ll let her know then.

  “So, what now?” I look around at all the books she has spread out on the table.

  “Now, we party!” She pulls a piece of paper from the stack and holds it out to me.

  I look at the flyer and grin. Oh yes, now we party.

  “This is the last fucking time I take fashion advice from you, Cy,” Joey grumbles as we walk up the sidewalk to the fraternity house.

  I stifle a laugh. “Oh, come on, Jo! You look fine.”

  Placing her hand on my arm, she gives me a rough shove. “My fucking tits are hanging out!”

  “Look, Father Martin told us we have to fit in, and now you look like all the other girls here. What’s the big deal?”

  “The big deal? What’s the big deal?” she growls. “You know what? Never fucking mind. You're just lucky I wasn’t able to pack my normal arsenal of weapons, or you wouldn't be laughing right now. Let’s just do this and see what we can get out of it.”

  Rolling my eyes, I nod, glad she isn’t going to complain anymore. I’m even happier that she doesn't have more weapons on her. I know she has at least one though; she's never without at least a small knife or throwing stars. Where she puts them, I don't want to know. Fuck, maybe having her dress like this was a bad idea. Every dick there is going to be all over her, but it’s too late now. I’ll just beat some ass if I have to.

  We enter the house together and are immediately offered red cups filled with nasty smelling beer. I’ve never had beer before, but one sniff makes me happy I haven’t. The house is packed full of people. Everyone is in pairs or groups, bobbing along to the loud music. Totally out of my element, I look to Joey, hoping she has an idea.

  She raises her brows and rolls her eyes. “Since we’re here, let’s get to work. I say we split up, mingle a bit, and listen in on as many conversations as possible. There are a lot of people here, so hopefully somebody’s going to know something.” She takes a sip of her beer, looking like she’s here to party. If she thinks it tastes nasty, she doesn’t show it.

  I agree and look around the room. I don’t know where the fuck to start. There are way too many people here. Turning to Joey to suggest
maybe we move through the room together until we figure out a better plan, I see her melting into the crowd, clearly not as uncomfortable as I am. I watch the people she passes. Nobody here looks suspicious, but appearances can be deceiving.

  There are girls everywhere. Hot, drunk, scantily clad women, showing way more skin than Joey’s showing, which has me feeling a little better about her outfit.

  Being nineteen, I can appreciate their appeal, but watching them does nothing for me. All I can think about are those beautiful green eyes from this morning. I can’t get Emersyn out of my head.

  I wander around the frat house for over an hour, and the only thing I’ve learned is that I hate fucking drunk people. I’ve been stepped on, bumped into, and soaked up an enormous amount of beer with my shirt. I’m ready to get the fuck out of here, but I haven’t seen Joey once.

  Making my way upstairs, I pass several couples jamming their tongues down each other’s throats, and hands shoved inside clothing. Uncomfortable, I keep walking until I reach the top floor. The huge house has an upstairs wing that consists of one long hallway with ten doors. One by one, I check inside, hoping to find my sister.

  Just as I’m about to open the third door, a scream pierces the air from farther down the hall. I run, my heart suddenly pounding out of my chest. When I reach the door, I try the knob, not surprised to find it locked. I can hear a woman’s muffled cries, in what sounds like a struggle.

  Using all my weight, I throw my shoulder into it, causing the doorjamb to splinter and the door to fly open. On the bed lies blonde number one from this morning’s sociology class. She has tears and mascara streaming down her face, and her lip is split wide open. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a shadowy figure fleeing out a side door. I take off in that direction, hoping to catch the fucker, but the blonde’s sharp cry has me stopping. Fuck, I need to make sure she’s all right.