Page 3 of Coerced

I’d only see her lose her temper once and wouldn’t mind seeing it again. Too many morons at this school actually thought she was harmless because she was peaceful, and I would have loved for her to show them just how wrong they were.

On one hand, her wanting to get involved proved her self-confidence was returning, and I wanted to encourage that. On the other hand, I’d seen that douche over there hurt girls before and didn’t trust him not to raise a hand to her.

And that’ll get him killed.

“All right, angel, I hear you, but can I try something first, please?” I found being calm and using manners went a long way with her, point proven when she nodded and sat down again. “Thank you. Come on, Jax. I’ll need you for this.”

As we walked toward the shouting match, he asked me what I was gonna do.

“I dunno.”

“Winging it. Good.” He rubbed his hands together. “My favorite kind of plan.”

Rolling my eyes, I walked on. Matt Farley had angled his girl behind him to get in Fanishell’s face, but he wasn’t doing anything else.

Why ain’t he knocked this guy out yet?

“I know you squared off with him before,” Jax said, “but I should tell you, in case your non-plan depends on my power, it won’t work. Fanishell’s side skill is rescindment.”

“Quicker, Jax, and use smaller words. We’re almost there.”

“He can rescind power. Cancel it out. Negate it. That’s probably why Matt’s only hollering at him, and why no one around them is getting involved.”

Now I’m doubly glad I came over instead of Gemma.

“Seems like that need-to-know information coulda been shared a little earlier,” I grumbled.

“It wouldn’t have changed anything, would it? Besides, you can take him even without your power.”

“Yeah, but Gemma won’t like it if I kill him.”

“I won’t let you go that far,” he promised.

“That’swhy I brought you along, Ajax.”

A few feet ahead, Fanishell’s hand shot out and grabbed Farley by the throat. Farley’s girl jumped up as if she was going to get between them, but a cloud of black power surrounded her and she went stone still.

Seems like as good a time as any to step in.

I didn’t waste the energy or time to call up my power against Fanishell. Not knowing if rescindment worked on a shield, I didn’t bother with that, either. Instead, I caught him in a good old stranglehold. The last time, I’d taken him down with a chokeslam without a problem, so I figured this would work just as well. He cussed and kicked his legs out, but I held him good and fast.

Then I jinxed myself by thinking he was gonna go down easy peasy lemon squeezy.

His power flared and a dozen or so constructs swarmed me. Looking kinda like scorpions with wings, they latched onto me with their pincers and stabbed their tails in deep. One of the little buggers dug into my left arm with what felt like a hammer drill and blood spurted in an arc toward Jax. He hissed, jumped back, and almost knocked Farley over.

“Stop pissing me off!” I ground out through my teeth. “Go tosleep!”

I adjusted the hold a bit, annoyed with myself for not getting it right the first time. In my defense, one, I didn’t wanna accidentally break his neck, and, two, I hadn’t used it in a long time. Still, Bennie would have ripped me a new one for not putting this creep out in less than ten seconds.

Good ol’ Bennie. I met her years ago at the soup kitchen she ran in the Bronx. She was the only reason I didn’t starve the last year I was possessed. For a price, of course. She was also a judo master who taught me a move or two in exchange for— Forstuff. Yeah.Stuff. Let’s leave it at that. What her kind of witch bought, you don’t wanna know.

Anyway, the sleeper was one of her favorites because it did no damage, drained no power, and put the person down fast, which is good if you’re looking to make a clean getaway after mugging a lost tourist. Not that I know anything about that.

One day, I'll hunt that dark witch down and peel the skin from her bones…

When Fanishell went limp, his drooping weight brought me out of my thoughts, but only so my brain could tell me to release him.

The pain in my arms said differently, though.

---