The Devil's Prey (The Demon Within) Page 11

  It had all been a test? ‘No, never!’ I burst into full fury again. I could feel blood running from my nose. I heard the voice shouting lots of different things, but I paid no attention, until I felt all my powers drain from my body abruptly.

  I knew someone had tackled me to the ground, because my back was very sore.

  ‘Summer, can you hear me?’ Liam was standing above me.

  ‘Let me go!’ I was unable to move. I could not get up. It was like I was somehow glued to the floor.

  ‘Summer, you need to listen to me. You need help. I can help you, but you have to promise not to kill me.’

  I found I could sit up then. I wiped away the blood from my mouth.

  ‘Summer, you did really well, but I was not expecting that.’

  ‘What do you mean? They were here, Liam. They really were.’ I was a bit shaky.

  ‘No, Summer. I was testing you to see how you would handle it. I never expected you to kill them all- and in such a brutal way. They were decoys. They take what you fear most and turn it into a real person or thing. The way you acted first is what I was expecting. I was about to turn it off when suddenly you went out of control. Your energy power was beyond anything I have ever seen, but from what I saw, I know you need help. The way you killed them shows me that you went through more than hell itself.’

  I could see the sadness in his eyes, and I knew he wanted to help. ‘I am fine now, I think.’ But his expression indicated that he didn’t believe me.

  ‘This was meant to be a fun holiday, learning to use my power and all, but I think that it is not going to be like that.’ I sighed.

  ‘Don’t look so glum. Let’s try something, ok? Try to move that weight again.’ He pointed over to where the weight was sitting, behind a burnt tree.

  ‘You’ve got to be joking.’ I raised an eyebrow, but he shook his head. He let me stand up, and I didn’t even have to close my eyes. I lifted my hand and the weight moved to the side.

  ‘I think we just unlocked your power,’ he said.

  I stood there, dumbfounded.

  ‘So you are saying for me to unlock my powers, all I had to do was kill some dummies that looked like…well…you know.’ I didn’t have the heart to say their names.

  ‘I guess that was all it took.’

  We spent the rest of the day cleaning the place. I was told that I had to use my powers often, because it was like a muscle- the more I used it, the stronger it would get. I was moving everything with my mind.

  ‘Ok, so I think we are done, and you have the rest of the afternoon to do whatever you like,’ Liam said.

  ‘You serious? How can I look around Italy when I can barely move?’ He smiled, and I knew it was a tactical move. I managed to drag myself into my room. I lied on the bed and closed my eyes.

  ‘Ohh, I do really like this.’

  I opened my eyes to see Michel standing at my suitcase, holding up a tight black dress. ‘Hey! Give that here.’ I looked at it and realized I had never seen that dress before. ‘I don’t even own a dress like that.’

  Michel grinned, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

  ‘Michel, why did you buy me a dress?’ I asked. He didn’t answer me, too busy looking through my shoes and jewelry. He shook his head at what he was seeing.

  ‘I will be back.’ Before I could say anything, he was gone with the dress. I waited for a bit, and just when I felt myself dozing off, he was back.

  ‘I think this will suit fine for where we are going.’ He tossed me the dress, shoes and accessories, and I caught them.

  ‘What do you mean by “we?”’ I asked. Last time I checked, I was planning on staying in. I could barely move.

  ‘I am taking you around- a treat for your performance.’ It shouldn’t have surprised me that Michel was watching me. He always does. From where, I did not know, and I didn’t think I ever would.

  ‘Fine, but where are we going? Because if it is dinner or sightseeing, I don’t think this is appropriate. And there is no way I am wearing this! There is nothing on it.’ I took a closer look at the dress, and it was black, so small as to undoubtedly be skintight, with thick straps and an open back. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it was a bit too low-cut for my tastes. Michel was out of his mind if he thought for one second that I would agree to wear a dress like that.

  ‘I am taking you clubbing, and I guess you have never been with your boyfriend around, so what better way to experience your first club in Italy than with me?’

  I coughed to cover up a sudden fit of laughter. ‘You can’t be serious.’ But when I looked at his face, I could tell he was dead serious. ‘No way, Michel. No way in hell am I going to a club- especially not in that dress.’ I looked at the dress and cringed.

  ‘Yes, you are, so you better get that little fairy butt moving, or I will strip you down bare and force you into that dress!’ He grinned, and I scowled at him.

  ‘Oh, I bet you would enjoy that!’ I grabbed the dress and its accessories, and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I took a look at the stuff Michel had bought me. I had to admit that he had good taste. I heard him knock on the door.

  ‘Summer, you better be getting ready, or I will put you in the shower!’

  I stuck my hand out the door and gave him the finger, and he burst out laughing. I started the shower because I knew that Michel always got what he wanted, one way or another. When I opened the door to get a clean towel, Michel was sitting on the bed.

  ‘Are you going to leave me to get ready?’ I asked, looking at him.

  ‘And miss out on all the fun? Not a chance.’ He was smiling, and I rolled my eyes.

  ‘Oh, bite me,’ I said, and walked off to the bathroom.

  ‘Don’t tempt me,’ he replied, and burst into laughter.

  When I poked my head out later, he was gone. I took a shower and got dressed. I decided to wear my hair down. For some reason, my hair had started getting curlier since the attack, and it grew curlier still every time I used a large amount of power. When I was done drying it, my hair hung halfway down my back, with a braid in the side. It curled prettily, and bounced when I walked.

  When I slipped into my dress, it fit me nicely, and I was surprised that Michel knew my size. When I looked in the floor length mirror, I could not believe he was making me wear this dress. I pulled on the shoes he bought me, which were black with a bright purple sole and a heel with a corset pattern at the back. I applied some heavy eyeliner and mascara with glitter gold eyeliner to make my eyes stand out. I put on the bracelet, which I quite liked. It started at my wrist and wrapped its way up my lower arm like a snake.

  I took a look in the mirror at myself, and couldn’t believe what I was about to do. If Ethan and Amanda were here, they would have a fit. In a moment of weakness, and because I was annoyed at Ethan, I took a photo and sent it to him, just to spite him. Within minutes, they both replied. Obviously Ethan had shown Amanda as well.

  Amanda: What have you done?

  Ethan: where the hell do you think you are going?

  Amanda: you do look hot but what the hell do you think you are doing

  Ethan: no way are you going out dressed like that?

  And so on and so on. I replied to both of them saying I was going out, and then left my phone on the table beside my bed. When I was walking through the house, Liam asked me where I was going, and I told him. He seemed pleased at what I was doing, and let me go. When I got outside, I could see Michel’s eyes widen from across the road. When I reached him, I did a twirl. ‘So what do you think?’ I asked, hoping for his approval- unlike Ethan and Amanda.

  ‘You look amazing! I wonder…who was the tasteful person who bought you that lovely dress?’

  I smacked him in the arm, and he laughed. ‘I can’t believe I am even wearing this.’ I shook my head, and he wrapped his arm around my waist.

  ‘Well, you do look amazing, so let’s get going before we are late.’ Like that, we were gone.

  When we reac
hed the club, we were in the middle of the dance floor. ‘Did you just queue jump?’ I had to yell over the music, which was blasting my ears.

  ‘Well, I have these powers for a reason. Why not use them?’ he said in my ear. ‘Let’s get a drink.’ I followed him over to the bar, where he ordered two cocktails.

  ‘I have never had a drink before,’ I said as he led me over to a table. I was beginning to get a very bad feeling about what was going to happen.

  ‘That’s ok, it takes fairies a few drinks to start feeling tipsy. I have tried.’ He held up the glass and forced me to take it.

  ‘To a great night!’ Even as we were drinking, I knew I was going to regret this. After we finished the cocktails, we went onto the dance floor. I hadn’t danced for ages, so I let it all go. This was the most fun I’d had in a long while. Most of the time, I was dancing with Michel, and if not, I was by myself while he went to get some more drinks. A few times, I had random guys dance with me, but it was never long before Michel took their place.

  ‘Summer!’ He waved over to me after I had been dancing by myself.

  ‘What’s up, Michel?’ I asked, feeling all happy and giddy.

  ‘I have never seen you like this, but you might want to calm down. You are starting to glow. I only know because I know what it looks like- but any brighter, and it won’t look like lights anymore.’ He smiled as I took a swing of my drink.

  ‘Sure, will do. Bottoms up!’ We both downed our shots.

  ‘Come on, let’s dance!’ I dragged him back onto the dance floor.

  ‘Summer, I think we should head back,’ he said into my ear later. I thought it was about one in the morning, but I was not sure.

  ‘Nah, I don’t want this to end,’ I said back into his ear. The music was still blasting, and people were still coming in.

  ‘Summer, it is almost four in the morning, and we’re both at our limits.’ I knew what he meant by that. He was trying to say we’d both had enough drinks, but I didn’t ever want to stop.

  ‘Please, just until this song is done.’

  He let me keep dancing until the song was over. ‘Ok, time to go.’ We walked out the front door instead of jumping.

  ‘I love this weather,’ I said as we stepped outside, still dancing and humming to myself and giggling at nothing. ‘Can you imagine if Ethan was here? He would have a heart attack.’ I laughed and tripped a bit, but Michel caught me.

  ‘Ok, Summer, maybe I was wrong. You really have never had a drink in your life.’ I was leaning on him as we walked away from the club.

  ‘Nope, I feel fine. Hey, Michel! Watch this!’ I twirled around and fell on my butt, laughing and muttering something about Ethan and what he would do if he ever found out.

  ‘Ok, Summer, I am taking you home.’ He picked me up, and I pouted.

  ‘I am having waaayyy too much fun,’ I whined, and he set me back down on my own two feet.

  ‘No, you are as drunk as a skunk.’

  I laughed, but then I felt sick. I unlatched my arm around Michel, and ran to a tree to vomit. Michel was standing beside me in no time at all, holding back my hair.

  ‘You’re right, I want to go home,’ I admitted.

  He picked me up, and next thing I knew, we were in my bathroom, where I was being sick again.

  ‘Come on, Summer, let’s get you to bed. Tou will feel better in the morning.’ I tried to get up, but I just fell back down again, moaning about the taste in my mouth.

  ‘Ok.’ Michel picked me up and placed me in bed. He took off my shoes and tucked me in. ‘Get some sleep.’ After that, I was gone, into the deepest sleep I think I have ever had.

  Chapter 15

  I woke the next morning, and my head was throbbing. I felt like I was going to explode. My feet were aching, and my mouth was really dry. How did Amy do this? I found a note on my bed, and groaned when I read what it said.

  Summer, I heard you had a great time, so that means I expect to see you in one hour in the training room.

  I moaned and rolled over.

  ‘Good morning, princess.’ Michel was too cheerful, and way too happy and loud. I just wanted to punch him so hard.

  ‘Shhhhh, you’re talking too loud.’ I placed one hand on his lips.

  ‘I see you have training this morning. Good luck with that.’

  I could see him waiting to laugh, and I groaned. ‘Go ahead and laugh. I know you are itching to.’

  He burst into laughter, while I sat up, rubbing my very sore head. ‘Summer, you should see yourself. Wait until Liam sees you- wait, I need a photo.’ He pulled out his phone and mine, and was snapping away. I knew what he was going to do next.

  ‘Michel, don’t you dare send that!’ I threatened.

  ‘Too late! This lovely picture is going to Ethan, and Amanda, and Lauren, and…oops! I think I sent it to your mum.’ My heart dropped, and so did his face.

  ‘I am so dead!’ And like that, I had Amanda pounding in my head, and my phone was going off like a rocket with messages and phone calls.

  ‘My head is so sore, Michel. How many drinks did we have?’ I tried to block out Amanda yelling at me, and my phone, which kept ringing.

  ‘Well, we had about fifty altogether, and you had about, let’s say…twenty-six.’ I felt like my head was about to explode.

  ‘You, Michel, are the biggest shit stirrer I have ever known.’

  He smiled at my compliment. ‘I guess it is my demon side- cheeky and devilish.’ He was rolling on the floor with laughter, and I threw a pillow at him. ‘Amanda, shut up! I have the worst hangover the world has ever known, and you are not helping. Please tell everyone to lay off the phone calls!’ I told her from halfway across the world.

  ‘Not a chance, Summer Burns! When you get back, you are in so much trouble!’ Great.

  ‘Well, I have punishment here for staying out until 4:30am, so leave me be. I am training.’ I told a white lie to get her off my back, and it worked.

  ‘Now you, Mr. I-Am-So-Funny…’ I grabbed the wind with my mind, and whipped him in the ass with a strong gust. He laughed.

  ‘That is for sending the pictures.’

  ‘Oh, burn…someone has some sass. I like that.’

  ‘Bite me.’ I rolled out of bed and onto the floor, pulling the blankets with me. ‘Do I really have to go?’ I groaned.

  ‘Yes, because I think he is on his way up.’ Michel disappeared, and Liam walked into my room, looking at me with an amused expression.

  ‘So how many drinks did you have?’ was the first question he asked.

  ‘Umm, twenty-six…I think. I sort of lost count after three.’ I got up slowly, and swayed a bit.

  ‘Ok’ he said, still looking highly amused. ‘Well then, we have a hard training session. Come on, get dressed and cleaned up.’ He left a bottle of water on the bedside table, and walked out. ‘See you there in ten.’

  I started to hear voices whispering my name. ‘Stupid hangover,’ I murmured. I got dressed and headed down to Liam.

  ‘Hey, Liam, can you hear that? Something is whispering my name.’ I looked around, but could only find us.

  ‘No, I think that is just you. Anyway, today we are working on you controlling the weather. Let’s begin.’

  Four hours and lots of screaming later, I could finally make and control wind reliably. I could also make it rain and summon up lightning.

  ‘I like lightning. I can strike wherever I feel like it.’ To prove my point, I made lightning strike a tree.

  ‘That is good, but we are done for today. You have the afternoon to yourself. Spend it wisely.’ I walked out of the room, feeling proud of myself and what I had achieved, despite the hangover. I found my way back to my room and lied on the bed.

  ‘Hard day, I guess?’

  ‘Michel, shut up.’ I rubbed my still aching head. ‘Please let me sleep.’ I rolled onto my stomach.

  ‘No, because I am taking you out.’ I couldn’t see him, but I could tell he was excited.

  ‘No. Leav
e me be.’ I lied there for a bit before Michel got bored and rolled me over.

  ‘Michel, I said leave me alone,’ I told him, half-asleep already. I felt a set of warm hands on my stomach, touching the one cold spot on me.

  ‘Summer, is this where…’ He ran his hand over my scar, and I shivered.

  ‘Get off me.’ I jumped up and pulled down my shirt. I walked towards the door, but Michel grabbed my arm.

  ‘Summer, what is this?’ He flipped over my arm and ran his hand over the words. ‘I am coming for you.’

  ‘Let it go, it is nothing,’ I snapped. I had almost forgotten about the words, and hadn’t realized that they had not yet faded completely.

  ‘This is the message- or at least one. They are engraving it into your body.’ He ran his fingers along the words again. ‘Why does nobody know?’ He let go of my arm, and I didn’t answer.

  ‘There is one on your leg, too. I saw it last night. Don’t look at me like that. I can feel the power, Summer, pulling me towards it.’ He crossed his arms and took a step back.

  ‘What do you think would happen if anyone found out? I would be under constant watch! Like I need that in my life! And I would like it if you would leave.’ I tried to push him out, but he was resisting me.

  ‘No wonder you are so troubled, Summer. You have a constant reminder of what happened to you.’

  By that point I’d had it with him. ‘I said get OUTTT!’ I screamed, and he flew through the window. He didn’t have enough time to jump, and fell to the ground. I stopped, horrified by what I’d done. ‘Michel!’ I screamed, and ran down the stairs to the lawn. I saw Michel lying on the ground, not moving.

  ‘Michel, Michel.’ I ran over to him. ‘Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead!’ I couldn’t hear him breathing. He lied so still on the ground. ‘Come on, Michel, don’t die. Please! I need you!’ I cradled I his head in my arms. ‘MICHEEELLLL!’ I screamed into the air. Tears were running down my face.

  A storm was forming over us, and I knew that I was manipulating the weather. Lightning cracked the ground every time I screamed, and every tear that poured down my face created ten thousand in the sky. I lied on Michel’s unmovable chest and cried. I closed my eyes. I killed him. I killed my only friend, the only person who really understood me, the person that I….