"I promise to make this quick, Princess," the brute said, so close to me now that along with feeling the painful sting of the knife at my throat, I could smell that he'd chosen not to use any form of deodorant that day.
I raised my eyes to his.
He growled. "No, Princess. You shouldn't do this." "Shouldn't do what?"
"Your Darkling. ." He began to loosen his grip on me.
"Darkling?" As I said it I sensed something shifting in my mouth. My teeth were changing. When I looked down at my hands, they remained my regular hands, but my fingernails grew to be long and black and pointed. I felt a rip, but it didn't hurt, and from the corners of my eyes I could see the black wings spread out from my back. Strength unlike anything I'd ever felt before welled inside of me, as if I were a kettle filled with boiling water about to start whistling loud enough for everyone in Erin Heights to hear.
I took a deep breath and realized that it didn't seem cold outside anymore. The temperature didn't bother me. I wasn't shivering from fear. As my attacker backed away from me, I stood straight and tall and energy hummed beneath the surface of my skin.
When I raised my hand I watched with amazement as a ball of energy formed and hovered an inch above my outstretched palm. The colors-red, orange, yellow-swirled and surged together faster and faster, the ball getting denser and denser the longer I concentrated on it.
Too cool.
The brute's eyes were wide as he watched me. Was that fear I saw in his expression? But then his eyes shifted to red-he was a demon, too, but still in human form-and he roared, clutching the knife tighter in his grip, and ran toward me. Without thinking, I threw the ball of energy at him. It hit him squarely in the chest. He flew backward and landed hard on the ground.
That's all it took. He was out cold.
I approached him in my demon form. I didn't feel completely in control of myself any longer-it was like something else had taken over. Something much more powerful, and something angry that anyone would try to attack me in the middle of a park. There was a car to my right at the edge of the parking lot and I walked past it so I could see my reflection in its windows. I tilted my head to the side and looked with shock at the demon-girl reflected back.
I looked different from my father. He'd been completely demon when he changed, but I was only half-a Darkling. My hair had changed from honey blonde to become red and long and flowing. It looked as if it was on fire, but it wasn't, which was a very good thing. My eyes were red and catlike, with no whites showing at all. My teeth weren't all sharp, only my canines-as though I wore fake vampire fangs.
Small, spiral horns emerged from just above my temples, red like my hair and shiny like metal. My talons were black and as sharp as X-acto blades. My wings stretched out behind me to their full width-about four feet on either side of me, black and leathery and perfect.
I still wore the clothes I'd left school in, as well as my winter coat, but it now had a huge gash in the back to make way for my wings. Underneath my clothes I could sense that lean muscle corded my arms and legs as if I were some kind of fitness model on ESPN. My hand glowed bright red from where I'd thrown the energy ball.
My eyes also glowed red like demonic lightbulbs.
Holy crap.
Being a Darkling made me feel different than I did in human form. I felt. . bigger, better, stronger. And extremely dangerous to anyone who messed with me.
I reached down and felt at the unconscious brute's exposed neck. There was a pulse. Demons had pulses. This was very good to know.
He was still alive. Even though he wanted to kill me, that was also good to know.
Suddenly the power that had filled me left in a mind-numbingly painful whoosh. I braced myself against the tree as agony swept through me. My teeth returned to normal and my hands, too. The wings retracted and disappeared completely.
I felt utterly exhausted. In fact, I felt like collapsing to the ground, curling up into a ball, and falling unconscious for the next five years.
Elizabeth had told me not to harness my powers or I might die.
I'd just harnessed. Big-time. And the pain from it racked my body.
I doubled over and fell to my knees on the ground. It took me a minute before I could stand up again, stunned and amazed and scared beyond belief by what had just happened. I felt seriously ill. I needed to rest.
I'd just managed to save myself. But at what cost?
I was utterly convinced I was dying by the time I staggered home.
"Nikki," Mom called out as I made my way past her writing room. "Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me," I replied weakly.
What could I tell her? I needed to get her to take me to the hospital. I didn't have much time. Elizabeth was right. I'd used my powers and now I was dying.
But instead of saying anything at all, I went directly to my room and closed the door. I knew what had to be done. I looked in the mirror on my vanity and saw a scared girl looking back at me. I didn't want to die.
Michael, I thought desperately. Where are you?
When there was no response I sat down on the edge of my bed and pulled the necklace out from under my shirt. I uncorked the vial of potion and held it up to my lips.
Drink it, I told myself. Just drink it and get it over with.
Get rid of the demon in me. Get rid of any trace of Darkling. Then what had happened wouldn't matter. I could get back to my normal life where the dance was the biggest thing I had to worry about. I could be normal. I didn't have to die.
Drinking the potion would solve all of my problems.
Do it. Do it now.
There was a knock at my door then and I pulled the bottle away from my mouth and jammed the stopper back into it.
"Nikki?" my mom said. "Is everything okay in there?" "Fine," I managed. "Can I come in?"
I tucked the bottle of potion under my tank top and pushed the tears off my cheeks. "Sure."
The door eased open and she looked in at me with concern.
I heard a male voice behind her. "What's going on?" It was Robert.
She glanced over her shoulder. "Nothing. Give us a minute, please."
He shuffled past the door and glared in at me. "Strong little thing, aren't you?" he said unpleasantly. His arm was in a cast now-the arm I broke like it was a pencil when he hit my mother.
"You have no idea." My eyes narrowed and I felt my headache return.
No, I thought. I have to stay calm. I couldn't risk my Darkling coining out again.
Robert didn't give any indication that he thought our altercation was anything more for me than a. . well, a lucky break. I guess he hadn't noticed that my eyes had turned red. That was a relief.
When he'd left and I heard the door at the other end of the hallway click shut, I looked at my mom. "I thought he was staying with a friend?"
"He came back."
"I swear, Mom, if he hurts you again-" She raised her hand. "I know, Nikki. Don't worry. It's not going to happen again. I won't let it." She leaned against the wall. "I was worried that you were sick coming home early today. But you actually look wonderful."