No Mercy by Shannon Dermott Page A

else.”
     
    Pushing back, she said, “You have a girlfriend.”
     
    “Yes,” I said.  Technically, I did even though Amanda had given me a free pass this weekend.  And really this was a partnership of sorts but I didn’t have to get into that.
     
    Standing up, she looked me over and it was a shame. “That’s too bad then,” she said dragging her nails across the back of my neck as she walked behind me.
     
    “It is, but if you and Mike ever officially break up and I’m not with anyone, who knows,” I said.  Why I added that last bit, I had no idea.  Being with Tamera had been fun.  I hadn’t been with any non-human girls except her.  And it was quite the experience.
     
    Heading to the door, I opened it. Smiling she left without trying to touch me.  Closing the door, I wondered how Luke was fairing.
     
     
     

 
    Chapter Fourteen – Luke
     
     
    At first, walking in the woods with the creepy girl was fine.  She didn’t bother to speak to me and I didn’t talk to her either.  The sounds of the forest creatures filled all the spaces between us. The further in we got, the thicker the trees were choking out the sunlight.  All in black like a thief, she began to blend into shadows. 
     
    Ignoring her, I just moved through the path headed to the place I last saw the pair of demon slayers. I’d been caught up with thoughts of my father and all the plans he had for me.  Not to mention the clashing thoughts of the girl who’d been in our lives for a day yet she left quite the impression.  She wasn’t the type of girl I’d bring home to meet my mom.  Hell, I’d never brought a girl home to meet my mom.  But she was interesting and fun.  Then there was the girl at school.  The one I knew Flynn was interested in. 
     
    My thought ceased when the Jo girl took off in a looping run with her nose in the air.  At first I watched her, then I thought she might have caught the scent of the demon slayers so I took off after her not being stealthy either.  Catching with her, she had a something pressed close to her chest.
     
    “What is that?’ I dared to ask, breaking the silence between us. When she turned, I saw she held a squirrel.  The thing squirmed in her hands looking terrified. 
     
    “I don’t know,” she said. “They are so fragile and to think I can shift to make myself just like them.”  Her hand twitched and she dropped the thing on the ground and walked away like it was nothing.
     
    My eyes fell upon the guy as it lay on its back twitching.  Moving to the spot it now rested, I bent on one knee and placed my hand on the dying creature.  A burst of tiny light was all it took to ease the pain of the thing.  It rolled and hauled ass in the opposite direction now healed.  I didn’t blame it.  The whole thing to save its life only took a few seconds.  The same amount of time it had taken for her to put its life in jeopardy. Swiftly, I stood and continued to walk but keeping more distance between us.
     
    Not too much longer we stepped into the clearing where the fighting took place just yesterday.  Coming up empty on demon slayers, I tried to think of how I could part ways with psycho girl who got off on killing animals.  Mind you, she was part of the animal kingdom because she could turn into one.  You’d think she’d have a little more respect.
     
    “Hey, why don’t we kill time by a little sparing?  I know we are on the same team and all but I wondered what it would be like to fight an angel.”
     
    Creepy girl just went a little too dark for me.  “Uh, no, I probably should head back,” I said to no one apparently.  When I looked up from the ground trying to think of what else to say, she’d disappeared from my line of sight.
     
    Hell, it looked like she wanted to play no matter if I wanted to or not.  Standing still, I tried to separate the noises of the forest from anything unnatural.  My vision narrowed time down frame by frame.  A leaf that had