I dropped my tray on the lunchroom table. Muriel jumped and looked up at me. “What’s the matter?”
“Edward. Sounds like we’ll be having a reunion with some of the demi-demons tonight.”
“Oh. That’s sounds like fun,” Jen said and took a long drink of her Coke.
My hand went to the damaged side of my face. I poked at the bruises and grimaced. “Yeah, just how I want to spend my evening. Getting my butt handed to me again.”
“Maybe Jake won’t be there…” Muriel let her words trail off. We both knew if there was a fight, he’d be right in the middle of it. Jake seemed to live for them.
“You don’t need to fight tonight,” Chay told me.
“I’m not going to let you guys fight alone.”
I watched as he eased himself into a chair across from me. It was the first time since he broke it off that he’d sat with the group. I hoped it was a good sign.
Demons. Glowing pit. Ben.
The images zipped through my mind. I barely had time to focus on them.
Bloody hands. Chay.
I looked up when I heard Muriel call my name, and I saw the rest of the group looking at me. “Huh?”
“What did you see?”
“Oh.” I waved my hand in the air. “Nothing. I’m just tired.”
The rest of the people around the table seemed to believe my excuse. But when my gaze flitted to Chay, his mouth was turned down slightly at the corners. He knew I was lying. The question was, did he know what I was seeing?
Blood covering Chay’s hands. Demon arms around Benjamin.
***
As soon as it was dark, they lined up in front of Muriel’s house.
“They’re here,” she said quietly. Drew placed a protective arm around her waist, pulling her to him for a quick kiss.
“Great,” Jen said under her breath. “I was hoping Edward was just trying to scare you.”
I stared out the window at the five Evils and four demi-demons standing on the sidewalk. “Me too.”
Six of us and nine of them. Why are the odds never on our side?
Chay walked to me. “Do you have it?” he asked.
“Yes.” I pulled up my pant leg and unsnapped the knife sheath I wore around my ankle. Taking the dagger out of the leather pouch, I weighed it in the palm of my hand. It fit my grip perfectly, like it was made for me.
Xavier looked over my shoulder. “What is it?”
“A kick-ass, demon-killing dagger,” I said with a smile.
Xavier stepped in front of me and looked at the dagger lying in the palm of my hand. “Where’d you get it?”
“Jake.”
“He gave it to you?”
“Hardly,” I said with a laugh. “I took it from him. It just flew right out of his hand and into mine.” Chay chuckled at my joke. Xavier looked confused.
“Milayna is the only one of us that’s figured out how to harness the telekinetic power we are all supposed to have,” Drew grumbled with a frown. He’d been practicing, trying to learn how to use his power since he’d turned eighteen and learned he possessed it.
“No luck, huh, Drew?” Chay asked with a grin.
Drew grunted something in answer. I couldn’t understand what and probably didn’t want to.
“How’d you do it?” Xavier took a step closer to me to get a better look at the dagger. Chay pushed off the wall he’d been leaning against.
“I don’t have a clue. I haven’t been able to do it since my birthday, the night I saw Azazel.”
“Maybe because you haven’t had a need to,” Chay said.
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
“So tell me about the knife.” Xavier reached for it. My fingers closed around the handle.
“First rule, I don’t give it up for anyone. No offense, but when demons are trying to kill you, you get a little protective of your only defense against them.”
Xavier dropped his hand with a tight smile. “Sure.”
“Besides, you should know the angel legend.” I looked up at him. “A dagger made from the coals of Hell. The only known weapon able to kill a demon.”
Xavier’s eyes flitted to the dagger, to me, and then back again. “I didn’t pay much attention to any of the old legends.”
“You didn’t pay attention to what would kill your vicious enemy?” Chay asked, sarcasm lacing his words.
Xavier shrugged a shoulder. “It sure is beautiful considering it’s from the bowels of Hell.”
“Yes, it is.” I slipped it back in the leather sheath around my ankle. “So, should we get the party started or wait and see if they’re just going to spend the night staring at us?”
Muriel crossed her arms in front of her, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “I don’t really want to go out there if I don’t have to.”
Considering none of us wanted to fight, it was an easy decision. We popped in a DVD, made popcorn, and settled around the television to watch a movie and wait them out. It lasted about forty-five minutes—just when the dang movie was getting good—before we heard from them.
“You can’t sit in there all night,” Jake yelled.
I sighed. “I knew they wouldn’t just leave. I’m surprised they didn’t just come up and ring the doorbell.”