Jordyn (A Daemon Hunter Novel Book One) (16 page)

"
Fine," I said, dragging my body up so I could lean back against my headboard. "Hey, before I forget, do you and Robert want to double tonight?" I asked.

"
Sure. Where do you guys want to go?"

"
Um, I'm not sure. We kind of forgot to talk about that part. I guess maybe dinner and a movie," I answered, yawning again.

"
Sweet. Now stop stalling and tell me about your new talent."

"
Fine, bossy mossy," I grumbled, launching into a detailed explanation of everything that had transpired the evening before. I omitted my trip to Rome from the discussion, pretty sure if Krista found out I would be in deep shit.

"
And you don't need, like, recharging time?" she asked when I finished.

"
Nope. The traveling doesn't sap me at all. If anything, it seems to energize me."

"
That's pretty sweet," she said.

"
Yeah, it just adds to my cool factor," I quipped, ducking out of reach as she took a swing at me. "Did Haniel say anything about sending you guys back out?" I asked, changing the subject.

"
Nah, I think they wound up sending someone else since you required babysitting," she teased, rising from my bed. "I better hit the road. I have several jobs I need to finish up today before we go out tonight," she added.

"
What, no more babysitting?" I said rolling my eyes. "Do you need any help?" I added. She worked as a freelance graphic designer and had a wide spectrum of clients that ranged from web designs to cover art for books. She was responsible for all the covers in Krista's
Dark Night
novels. Before she and Robert had left the last time, she showed me a few things and let me help her on a couple of her projects.

"
Not today, but I have a big job booked next week that I would really appreciate your help with."

"
Sounds like a plan, Stan," I said, giving her a wave as I headed to my bathroom to get ready.

After the excitement of the night before, the morning and afternoon dragged along in a lackluster kind of way. Krista spent the majority of the day trying to catch up on her writing
, while Mark worked all afternoon poring over papers students from his summer class had turned in. I spent the day holed up in my room on my MacBook, pulling up places I would like to visit. I memorized details from the pictures that would help me in my travels. After the fiasco in Rome, I decided it was imperative that I never land inside a building again. I now understood why Emrys had taken me to the alley in Shanghai. I'm sure it was considered rude to land on your friend's lap.

At five o
'clock, I finally closed up my laptop and dressed for my first-ever double date. I was a little apprehensive that my friends and Emrys wouldn't hit it off, but I figured it couldn't be any worse than Haniel's reaction to him.

"
Don't you look nice," Krista proclaimed when I entered the living room.

"
You mean you like this better than my normal tanks?" I asked, pointing at the delicate white blouse with black stitching I had found at the back of my closet. I'd paired it with a pair of black jeans and a less-scuffed-up pair of black boots. My hair hung down my back like a curtain of black that shined in the light from the multiple brushings I had given it. Eyeliner lined my eyes, making them appear more exotic and bigger. A touch of clear lip gloss from a tube I found buried at the bottom of a drawer in my bathroom coated my lips, making them glisten in the light.

"
Just a bit," she teased.

"
Don't get used to it. I miss my tanks already," I threatened.

The doorbell rang before she could reply.

"Saved by the bell," she called after me.

"
Hey," I said, opening the door to reveal Lynn, Robert, and Emrys who looked as handsome as he had the night before. "Did you all drive together?" I teased, swinging the door open so they could enter.

"
No, your stud here appeared when we were pulling in," Lynn joked, walking by me.

"
Stud," Emrys said, smirking at me. "I think that loosely translates to 'hot,'" he added, linking his fingers through mine.

"
Either that or she thinks you're a horse's ass and she just got confused," I teased as everyone else laughed.

"
What movie are you guys planning on seeing?" Mark asked, sliding an arm around Krista's shoulders and pulling her snug against him.

"
Well, I'd still like to see the zombie one I was supposed to see last month," I hedged, knowing Lynn's aversion to zombies.

"
No way," she said, shaking her head to emphasize her point.

"
Fine, what do you want to see?" I pouted.

"
I don't think your zombie movie is even out anymore," Robert said, pulling up the movie app on his phone. "We can see the new Spiderman movie, it just came out today," he said hopefully, looking at us like a puppy begging for a treat.

"
I'm game," I answered, looking at Emrys for approval. He looked bemused at our conversation.

"
I'm good for anything," he answered, linking his fingers through mine.

"
Spiderman is good with me. That new guy they got is smoking," Lynn teased, smiling mischievously at Robert just before he swept her up in his arms and planted a sound kiss on her upturned lips.

"
Are they always like that?" Emrys whispered in my ear.

"
I know, sickening, right?" I answered, though I really didn't feel that way. The bond between Guides and Protectors was the strongest ever created, and the love they shared could literally light up a room.

"
Do you really think so?" he asked quietly, looking like he was in on my secret.

I shook my head.

"I didn't think so."

"
Well, goody for you," I said so my tough girl image wouldn't be completely lost in all my mush.

"
Ready?" Lynn asked, finally untangling herself from Robert's embrace.

"
Unless you two need a room real quick," I scolded.

"
Aw, you want to play sucky face too," she said, making a fish face in front of me that I'm sure was supposed to be a kissy face.

"
You wish, perv," I said, giving her a shove as we headed out to their car.

The irony of Emrys and
me riding in a car wasn't lost on me. We could have easily met them at the theater, but the charade of our double date required us to behave like humans.

"
So, Jordyn, I heard through the Krista grapevine that you can PT," Robert said, looking at me in the rearview mirror.

"
PT?" Emrys asked, looking intrigued.

"
Place Travel," Lynn answered for me, twisting around in her seat so she could talk to us.

"
Yeah, I kind of discovered it by accident last night," I said, filling them in on my near-death experience the night before.

"
Insane," Robert said, shaking his head incredulously.

"
I know, right?" I said, looking at Emrys to see what he thought. "You knew," I said, seeing the look on his face.

"
Yeah, the first time I traveled with you I could feel it. It was almost like a resistance. I'm guessing it's because your own mind wants to be in control of your travels."

"
Why didn't you tell me?" I accused.

"
I wasn't a hundred percent. More importantly, though, is why your Archie Haniel didn't tell you," he stated.

"
Believe me, we covered that topic last night too," I answered. "Haniel was as helpful as ever," I added sarcastically.

"
Yeah, Haniel has always been a rule follower. Believe me, his secrets have bit us all in the ass at one time or another," Robert stated.

"
Rules are fine, but not when Jordyn's safety is in question, that's not cool," Emrys said, sounding pissed.

"
Awww, you're like my own knight in shining armor," I teased, touched over his misplaced anger. His protectiveness was sweet though unnecessary.

"
Can you please help me feel like a man and at least pretend I can protect you?" he grumbled.

"
Oh, my, I do believe that's a bee over there. Be still, my scared beating heart. I need my big strong manly man to kill it for me," I said in the weakest Southern accent ever.

Robert and Lynn busted out laughing as Emrys reached over to mush my hair.
"You're a regular old jester," he growled in my ear before dropping a kiss on my neck that instantly sent my pulse racing.

"
Jester, what are you, seventy?" I teased.

"
Give or take a few years," he answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"
Gross. I can't crush on an old man," I said, gagging like I was disgusted.

"
Crushing?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"
That can be construed in many different ways. I could be saying that it'd be wrong to crush an old man."

"
Is she always this cocky?" he asked Lynn and Robert.

"
Every second of every day," Lynn answered dryly.

"
Yeah, we'd gang up on her and give her a dose of humbleness, but she'd most likely kick all of our asses without breaking a nail," Robert griped good-naturedly.

"
Hey, it's what I do. Don't hate on the awesomesauce of my abilities," I joked, blowing on my nails.

Lynn snorted at my words.
"Awesomesauce? Where do you come up with this stuff?"

"
What? That word is oh-so-popular with the crowd from my school. Matter of fact, it's starting to grow on me. I think everything is going to be awesomesauce."

"
I'd like to see a little humblesauce," Robert quipped, turning the car into the theater parking lot.

"
Envysauce makes you look like babysauce," I teased, climbing from the vehicle.

"
OMG, enough with the sauce," Lynn complained, slamming her car door.

"
Babe, angrysauce won't earn you any Goobers," Robert teased.

"
Say goodbye to sexysauce if I hear it again," she threatened.

"
Ooooh, Robert. You better stay down for the count. You just got knocked cold," I laughed.

"
And you. There are other ways to get you. You're not always awake," she threatened me before turning back around to grab Robert's hand.

"
Grumpysauce," I whispered to an amused Emrys whose shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter.

"
You're a nut," he said when he was finally able to talk.

"
Truth," I answered, grabbing his hand as we bought our tickets for the movie. The moment felt so normal I couldn't help grinning. Looking at us, you would've thought we were human. Lynn and Robert were already at the concession stand ordering when we joined them.

"
What can I get you?" the perky concession clerk asked.

"
What's your poison?" Emrys asked, pointing to the soda machine.

"
Coke, please."

"
What size?" she asked, still smiling like her life depended on it.

"
Um, medium," I answered, eyeing the ginormous cups.

"
For twenty-five cents more you can get a large," she chirped, holding up a cup that was big enough to swim in.

"
Um, that's okay."

"
It is only a quarter," Emrys said, smiling at me.

"
Medium is fine," I clarified. "And a nachos."

"
With nachosauce," Emrys and I both said loudly at the same time. Robert burst out laughing as Lynn glared at all of us.

"
All of you are immaturesauce," she said, before turning around, heading for the theater.

The perky girl behind the counter lost her smile and looked at us like we had just escaped a mental facility when the three of us trailed behind Lynn, howling with laughter until we entered the packed theater. There was no way in hell we were going to find seats together.

"This is what we get for showing up five minutes before the movie is supposed to start," I griped, looking around at the sporadic single seats that were available.

"
This blows," Robert grumbled. "Maybe we should see the later show."

"
Where do you guys normally like to sit?" Emrys asked.