“You got the drop on me, but not again.”
I coughed and stood straight as the adrenaline coursed through my body. “You should quit before you get hurt.”
He came in for another punch aimed at my face. He should have tried something different. I stepped to the side, pushed his arm away with my right hand, and came in for a quick strike to his neck. The hard part of my palm connected to a spot on his throat.
His eyes widened, and he gave a gurgling choke before he collapsed on the ground and lay still. I leaned over him and placed two fingers on his neck. I hit hard enough to knock him out, but that same pressure point could cause death if struck harder.
His pulse beat against my fingertips, and I let out a sigh of relief. “You’re going to wake up feeling like shit, but you deserve it”
I stood and headed out the door.
That lead had dried up to nothing. Time was ticking away, and I had no idea who the daimon was or who he was possessing. My best bet was to figure out Mercer and decide if he could be an ally or not. Even at that thought, my Aunt’s voice echoed in my mind.
They were all enemies.
Chapter 22
My fellow students milled around the auditorium and filled the room with a nervous buzz of conversation. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes with a sigh.
Today was the first meeting since the project had come off of its pause since James’s death two weeks ago. Almost a week had passed, and I still hadn’t found the daimon, nor had I found a way to confront Mercer. He’d remained conspicuously busy trying to get Proprius back on track. The only positive thing had been Sheridan’s return to normalcy. She’d dove back into her classes and responsibility as organizer so easily that I almost believed nothing had happened.
That look in her eyes flashed in my mind, and a chill settled in the pit of my stomach. My wrist tingled right before the seat beside me shifted and gave a small squeak as Serenity sat beside me. She stared forward with a faraway look and her arms crossed.
“Are you sure there’s something here and not just normal human tragedy?” she asked.
I raised a brow at her. “You can’t sense it? What kind of god are you?”
“Who said I was a god?” She sighed ran a hand through her hair. “This is just really frustrating, and being on Sheridan watch is getting tedious.”
“I’m sure Mercer is happy you’re around more. And yes, they’re here, just lying low,” I said. “Mercer as much admitted something was here, too.”
She rolled her eyes. “He’s a known liar.”
I sat up straighter as that little tidbit snapped the puzzle into focus. How could I have been so stupid? “Of course.”
She shifted a narrowed gaze at me and smirked. “Figured it out?”
“Maybe.”
Sheridan stepped in from the back and moved to the podium with a thick red portfolio under her arm. Her hair was pulled up into a French braid, and once again she was dressed in the pencil skirt along with a red cashmere sweater. Despite the together secretary look she’d taken, her face held a stiff neutral look and there was tightness around the corners of her eyes.
“How has she been?” I asked.
“Busting her ass. Honestly, I don’t know if it’s just to block out what happened or if she’s really over it.”
I stood and walked to the podium. “Hey, Sheridan.”
She tensed, but didn’t look up from her papers. “What is it?”
“I wanted to see how you were doing after everything.”
“I’m fine. You can call off your guard dog.” She nodded to Serenity.
“Look, if you want to talk, we’re here for you.”
“I said I’m fine.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and set her jaw before meeting my gaze. “Unless you have something to ask about the meeting, can you take your seat? I have a lot to look over.”
A prickling spread across my tattoo, and I stiffened. Mercer walked toward us with his hands in the pockets of his open jacket. His green eyes flashed in my direction, causing a wave of heat to flow through me as they traveled the length of my body. His jaw tightened, and he focused on Sheridan with a taut smile.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
She slammed the stack of papers down and stared up at the back of the auditorium, giving a soft chuckle. “I really wish people would stop asking me that today.”
His gaze slid to me, and I shrugged, not meeting his eyes again. I was still struggling with the raw need he’d just elicited from me with one look. I didn’t need to make it worse by staring at the peak of his pectoral muscles at his open collar.
“So,” he ventured. “Who are we meeting with today?”
She cleared her throat and looked down at her paperwork again. “Both the software and hardware teams. The first to discuss the sensory immersion issue.”
He nodded. “Our most important roadblock. It’ll either make us or break us.”