Death's Dilemma (DHAD #2) Read online

  “Okay, Cendall. Whatever triggers it is fine with me, and it’s nice knowing something that I’ve done resonates up there,” he said as he poked me in the forehead. My cheeks burned, exposing he’d found the truth. The penalties of fair complexion sure liked to get in the way.

  “Why hold that information for so long? To catch me off-guard?” I asked him.

  “Of course. That is the only time that I get a slight glimpse into what’s going on in that head of yours. It’s the only time you let the wall down, and I can see how you really feel. You’re very hard to read, Cendall, I have to use any advantage I have.” He smiled wide and gave me a wink before turning away.

  I hated him so much.

  Chapter Two

  Finally Friday

  “Good Morning,” Lacie said as she walked through the closet connecting our rooms.

  “It is Friday finally, isn’t it?” I said as I felt a smile hit my lips. Like most humans, I worked an eight hour shift, except my shift only ended because then the house was guarded by like thirty other Guardians. So, it wasn’t like I technically got off, but I at least got to go to my room, or the bathroom, alone. One Friday a month, which just so happened to be today, they actually gave me an entire night to myself following my duties at the school. I’d heard through the grapevine of Guardian Angels who also protected Lacie that their shifts were polar opposite of mine. They had two different shifts. One would stalk us at school, in the shadows, while the other would guard her when she got home. All of them followed this except Trevor, of course. That overachiever was always striving for the employee of the year award; he barely left her side. He was the only one who was around her more than me. Not distance wise, as when she was at school, I was typically within a foot of her, but he was always lurking. I understood it being he was her head Guardian and all.

  If Lacie were anyone else, the protection wouldn’t be this insane, but since Demons didn’t work within Reaper guidelines of only taking a soul when it was vulnerable, they could strike at any time, which was why, even when I had my “time off”, I stayed by her side. But this Friday would be different.

  Lacie left to get ready, and I quickly put on my leather leggings and oversized, black silk shirt. Today, only because it was Friday and I was feeling a little edgy, I picked the one that had small gold studs on the shoulders. For some reason, the fad of this generation seemed to be leggings. It was a moment of clear bliss when I found black leather ones. I, at least, could then argue with Lacie that they were in style. The comfort and fit reminded me so much of my old outfit and would still give my skin that extra layer of protection, just in case. I bought ten pairs and then proceeded to buy shirts that I could at least move in and somewhat went with the leggings. Most were black, but to stop Lacie from complaining, I bought a few in color. Every day, I would complete my perfect ensemble with black, thigh-high boots. They, again, seemed to be made for me as they perfectly fit my scythe as long as it wasn’t in its elongated form. On the first day of school, I heard “hooker” a few times, but that stopped when someone tried to test his hypothesis.

  His name was Eric, and he’d thought that we would bond over his secret piercing. He attempted to pin me against the locker and ask if I “wanted to see it”. Horrified, Lacie stared at me like she wanted to die when I agreed. He started to unzip but not before I grabbed it through his jeans. At first, his eyes grew in excitement; then, I asked him a question.

  “What are the odds that I can rip that piercing out without you even try and push me away?”

  “You wouldn’t dare bitch,” he muttered, and I pulled.

  Sure enough, the odds were good. He should have taken the bet. His screamed rang through the halls, and soon enough, every student packed into the hallway to watch the rest of the event occur. After his scream, he doubled over, hitting his head on the locker as he fell to the ground. Realizing I’d probably moved too quickly and this could be seen as sexual assault, I leaned down to his ear.

  “Listen, asshole. You don’t tell anyone what happened, and I’ll just tell them I kicked you in the balls for hitting on my cousin. Neither of us can afford to get suspended for this shit. Deal?”

  “Deal,” he squeaked out between sobs. Two of his friends helped him up and walked him to the bathroom to clean up. I, on the other hand, was hauled off to the principal’s office for the first time. After a stern talking to, I was sent to after school detention, and Lacie was forced to get in trouble so she wouldn’t be alone. It was hilarious watching her try and “be bad” in our AP English class. After three failed attempts at throwing a paper ball at the back of the teacher’s head, she finally just stood up, frustrated.

  “This shit is stupid. Can we move on already?! I’m fucking bored!” She later blamed it on a temporarily lapse in sanity and said she was still shaken up from something in her home life. For being a good girl most of the time, she sure was good with getting people to believe her.

  After detention that afternoon, I received my first “take this job seriously” lecture from Trevor.

  “Don’t be excited to get a day off,” Trevor said, and it felt like a repeat.

  “Funny you’d say that. I was just reminiscing on you lecturing me. Thank you for the refresher.”

  “Nice to know you’re thinking about me,” he said as he put an arm around my shoulder. My body relaxed against his in surrender. I batted his arm away when my mind caught up with my heart rate.

  “Why are you sucking up to me?” I asked, and the corner of his mouth went into a smirk.

  “Me? Never. I came to tell you that Lacie was just saying how we should all go out to a movie or something tonight. I know it’s your day off, but she’s really excited about seeing it.”

  “And what movie is that?” I asked, not believing a word he said.

  “Some sci-fi flick. I wasn’t really listening. She just was going on and on about some movie.”

  “And you’re the first to know about it? Somehow you mysteriously overheard her talk about it even though I’m like a millimeter away from her at every waking moment?”

  “Yes.”

  “You know today is my day off.” Of course he did, that’s what this was about.

  “I know, but you know she doesn’t feel comfortable leaving without you.”

  “She has you.” Seriously, this week was the longest week ever. I spent every moment anticipating this small sliver of promised freedom. They had even called in extra backup. Yes, I felt guilty, but Lacie said she understood why I had to go.

  “I know, and the rest of our group, but she’s just a young girl.”

  “We’re the same age.”

  “I know, but if my life was in danger all the time, I’d want a Reaper by my side that vowed to protect me.” He was really laying it on thick.

  “Why don’t you ask Catherine? I’m sure she’d love to go into a dark movie theatre with you,” I sparred, and his eyes went from wide to slanted in two point five.

  “She’s only been on this mission for a day. You probably haven’t even seen her at school.”

  “No, but that’s probably because she’s too busy making out with you in the janitor’s closet.”

  “Seriously, you know that’s not true.” I walked past him and into my bathroom, daring him to follow.

  “It’s not about the movie. You should be around her at all times,” he shouted as I furthered the distance between us.

  “PRIVACY PLEASE I’M IN THE BATHROOM” I yelled a little too loud, and I heard him leave the room. It was a lie but, it did the trick. All men, whether human, Guardians, or Reapers, seemed to be freaked out by anything to do with woman and the restroom. I didn’t feel bad though. He didn’t need to guilt me into staying tonight. It was one night out of the month that I asked for. There were enough Guardians out there to watch her; they could give me a day off.

  After Lacie was finally ready, we walked down the stairs and out the door to the bus stop. I attempted to ignore the eye rolls and disappointed s
tares as I walked past the Guardians. Trevor must have told them I refused to stay tonight. These Guardians were not my keepers. Who were they to judge me? Yes, I use to be their born enemy, but weren’t we fighting for the same purpose now? And unlike their brothers, they didn’t care if I made it out of this assignment alive. The only one who probably did was Lacie. To the rest, I was that first quadrant of soldiers that were sent out to break things up, but the expectations weren’t high for me coming out alive, which was why I needed tonight off. I had to find out more about what my dad said at the trial. Maybe it would help get me out of this mess in the end so I didn’t wind up dead.

  The words he said in court that day echoed in my head. “Find out more about where you come from to find out who you are.” It had to mean to find out who my mother was. All I knew about her was that she died during my birth, and no one had met her. Great clue, dad. It was, however, a start to explaining why I was able to shoot electricity from my fingertips and heal Trevor when we battled. Before that moment, I didn’t know I possessed gifts that were normal to Guardians and Angels but foreign to Reapers.

  Chapter Three

  Spirit Week

  “What did you just volunteer us for?” I asked Lacie as I brought my hand down in student publications. This was our last class before lunch and the only class I didn’t stand out in. All the kids who liked to wear black seemed to be here. It was like our own little cult.

  “You didn’t hear? You really should pay attention if you want to pass.” She laughed, knowing well enough how I felt about that topic.

  “No,” I said as the bell rang and we walked down the hall to lunch. “The teacher had been mumbling something, and like normal, it went in one ear and out the other. I already knew enough about human culture, and seeing as I no longer hunt you guys, I don’t find it relevant enough to pay attention.”

  “Spirit Committee,” she answered.

  “What is that?”

  “You seriously don’t know?” She laughed again.

  “No, ‘Spirit Committee’ wasn’t in my Reaper studies.”

  “It’s fun! I did it at my last school. It’s just a week to look like an idiot, but everyone does it. She smiled. Each day has a theme, and everyone dresses according to that theme. It’s all done for homecoming week. You know, to get everyone in the spirit. Hence the name. Next Monday is Hawaiian day. Tuesday is super hero day. Wednesday is wacky day. Thursday is ‘80s, and Friday is school color day. So purple and white everything! Then, at the end of the week, there’s a parade during halftime that displays floats. Each day after school, we, as part of the committee, help build the float for our class.”

  “Floats?”

  “Yeah, like a big parade float but on a smaller scale. Each class makes one as a group. So the freshman, sophomores, juniors, and then us seniors make one. You make them out of chicken wire and tissue paper. Then, next Friday, we walk the parking lot to the football field where they’re displayed at half time. The teacher’s judge, and winners are called. The football game goes on, and from what I’ve heard, they usually lose.” She laughed. “And afterwards, everyone goes to someone’s house to burn the float we worked on. It’s really just an excuse for a party, but it’s fun, or so I’m told. Then, the next day is the dance.”

  “We didn’t have so much luck at the last one. And where did this come from? Sure sounds like something that would need much more planning in advance.”

  “Well, we’ve only been here a few months, and I guess they didn’t have enough people volunteering, so I volunteered us.”

  “I don’t like the sound of any of this. How long have you known about this dance coming up?”

  “Cendall, there are signs all over. Look around once in a while.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m too busy watching your ass, along with Chad, it appears,” I laughed as we both turned and saw her recent crush approaching.

  “Hey you guys want to sit outside today?” he asked like we hadn’t just caught him staring at Lacie’s ass. She blushed, and we agreed.

  “He’s sort of cute,” I said as he walked away and headed towards the tables outside the cafeteria.

  “I guess. Most of the girls here think he’s cute, and I can see why. He’s nice, tan, and tall, and those hazel eyes are gorgeous, but I don’t know. Just never felt like that about him. I’ve actually started talking to someone else.”

  “Maybe you should tell him that.”

  “Yeah, but it’s nice having a full table at lunch.” She smiled.

  “What do you feel like eating today?” I asked as we stood in line.

  “No idea. Nothing smells good.”

  “Does it ever?”

  “Cheesy breadstick day does.” And she was right. That was the only time this menu didn’t make me cringe.

  “What will you be having?” asked the lunch maid who had a hair net that clung to her eyebrows.

  “Fries.”

  “Same here,” Lacie said. The lady handed them to us, and we headed to the stone tables outside. Myah, Cameron, and Chad were already waiting.

  “Hey guys!” Myah waved like we didn’t see her. She was, what I guess you could call, Lacie’s and my first friend at this school. She’d given us the tour on day one, and since then, she hadn’t left Lacie’s side. I sometimes wondered how she survived before us. At first, I questioned her motives as she seriously never left us alone, but one touch of her skin, and I didn’t fear any longer as her life flashed before my eyes.

  She’d grown up in California in a modern, metrosexual, free-loving town. When she came here two years ago with her hipster clothes, she was immediately cast as an oddball, and the girls picked on her. I secretly thought it was out of jealously, but I kept that to myself as I didn’t really have time for high school politics. But if I ran a school and a Mexican bombshell came in, drawing all the boys’ attention, I’d probably be jealous too. Not that Myah noticed, of course. In her eyes, she was a plain Jane. A plain Jane that was all legs and standing at nearly six feet. Her light, golden-cocoa skin and honey brown eyes made her stand out. Hell, she’d even gotten some boys to join the swim team, even though they had to get in those little purple speedos. I told her my theories of why the team suddenly had 20 more boys when she joined the team this year, but she wasn’t having it. And it really was a waste of their time. When she was at practice, practice was all she did. She wouldn’t so much as glance their way, giving only the final lap her attention.

  Lacie made me go to one of her meets once, and if mermaids existed, I would swear she was one. She swam faster than her competitors by not just seconds but sometimes a full minute. It was sort of sad when her life flashed before my eyes and I could see that, up until we arrived, all she did was focus on school. It wasn’t until her senior year that she decided she wanted to try having friends again. She had a group of girls she hung out with all throughout middle school, but in her move, they had lost touch. I caught myself asking about them once, and she looked at me extremely confused. Luckily, Lacie had been able to cover my tracks. When I used to do that trick on humans, they could never see me, and I never talked to them, so I never had to worry. But here, it was an issue. I tried, because of this, to just not talk to people or touch them unless I thought they were a threat. Seeing someone’s whole life story was exhausting when you had to see them day after day. I use to only see it as it was an advantage, a tactic to find their vulnerabilities and weaknesses, but since I was no longer in the soul collecting business, this tool was now a nuisance.

  “Are you going to sit?” Myah asked as she waved her hand in front of her face.

  “Yes, sorry, lost in thought.”

  “That’s nothing new,” she laughed.

  “So did you join Spirit Committee?” Myah asked Lacie as she pulled out her turkey sandwich from a small brown bag.

  “Yes we both did.” And with that, Myah let out a loud chuckle.

  “Cendall joined Spirit Committee?” She smiled, and I shot a glare in her direc
tion.

  “Yes, you’ve said before I needed to work on my social skills. I’m just taking your advice,” I said, and she rolled her eyes, probably catching the sarcasm.

  “Yeah right, but who cares?! It’ll be so much fun! I have so many ideas.” She started to ramble on to Lacie and Chad, and I turned towards Cameron.

  “Spirit Committee today, and you’ve only been to the office once this week. You’re growing up right in front of my very eyes,” Cameron teased as the others carried on in their conversation.

  “Oh shut up.” I playfully punched his shoulder. Like how Myah had become Lacie’s first friend at this school, Cameron had become mine. I think it was mostly because of how much he reminded me of Dave. I wonder where he was at on his scroll. When I’d last seen him, he was about half way through.

  Cameron, like Dave, had short, blonde hair, but their physical similarities ended there. Cameron was tall and lean while Dave was short and stocky. Cameron also had light grey eyes, and his tone was daintier, almost feminine. He reminded me so much of Dave when I’d first met him because he was so easy to talk to. After one conversation on the first day of class, I felt like I’d known him forever. Didn’t help that with one touch, I had the full version of his life story, but he’d never know. He, like Myah, had no deep, dark secrets, but unlike her, he did have something he was struggling with—something we had yet to stumble upon in conversation. It wasn’t an uncommon story: Absentee father, mother who was physically present but mentally checked out long ago. He’d basically raised himself from a very young age, and it gave him a wisdom that I couldn’t help but admire, almost like he was one of those old souls I’d learned about back in training. They said they were myths, but with the wisdom and patience this kid had, it seemed like something you could only get after living more than one life. We quickly became close because, like my old friend Dave, he helped me out on the first day. Not that I needed it, but he did so before we even became acquainted.