The Impact (Book II)

Scapegoat

I parked in the police department parking lot and sat in the car for a minute. A boy around seventeen was led out by his livid parents, his face bruised and crusted with blood. The mother was screaming at him, gesturing wildly. He said something in his defense but clamped his mouth shut when his father muttered something in his ear. On him, I could smell Zach's blood as well as sulfur. I rose an eyebrow and watched the boy until he sank into the backseat of his parent's car.

Taking a breath to steel my nerves, I got out of my car and warily approached the entrance of the department.

There were a shocking amount of people inside, most of them seated at desks with an officer. I gripped my purse and walked to the front desk where a severe looking woman stood. She didn't look up for the first thirty seconds. I uncertainly cleared my throat. Gray eyes flicked up to stare at me before she gave me her attention.

"What?"

"Um, I'm here to pick up my son, Zachary Taylor." I stammered, put-off by her surly reply.

She rose an eyebrow at me, no doubt disbelieving of my relationship with Zach. I had somewhat aged, looking like a human in her late twenties or early thirties. My face was still childishly round and I was often mistaken for an adolescent. I pulled my ID out, which had a false year aging me to be in my mid-thirties. She scrutinized it and me before reluctantly seeming to believe how old I was.

"The bail is $2,500," she drawled.

[Christ, kid, what did you do?] Rayi sounded impressed.

I set my purse on the desk and wrote out a check, handing it to her. She called over an officer. He came over and she ordered, "Bring out Zachary Taylor. His bail has been paid."

He nodded and disappeared to the holding cells. I grabbed my purse as the officer slid a clipboard over to me. "Sign beside his name."

I obeyed, signing my name with a quick flourish, then pushed the clipboard back to her. Zach emerged from the holding cell with the officer sent to retrieve him. I withheld a gasp when I saw his injured face. He had a black eye, swollen to the point his right eye was shut, and a split lip. What had once been a perfectly ordinary nose was now a bloody, crooked mess. It struck me that I almost forgot what his nose had even looked like before, it had been so mundane. He limped over to me and I noticed his knuckles were badly bruised.

"He should count himself lucky: the family isn't pressing charges," the officer behind the front desk said.

I grabbed his wrist and tugged him after me out of the department. I walked quickly, ignoring him calling my name. "Get in the car."

He slumped down in the passenger seat, wincing when I slammed my door shut. I turned to glare at him. "What happened?"

"Look, I swear I didn't go looking for a fight! I was at work and this kid just came and hit me! He was acting unusual; stumbling around like a drunk and muttering to himself. And he reeked like rotten eggs. I only defended myself. Another student saw us going at it and called for a teacher who called the police." He spoke quickly.

My ears pricked and I looked sharply at him. "What's that? He smelled like rotten eggs? Did you notice anything else? Strange eye color, inhuman strength?"

Zach looked baffled, staring at me like I'd sprouted two heads. "U-uh, well he did punch me hard enough to dent some lockers...and my cuts haven't healed yet."

[This can hardly be a coincidence. Do you think Lucifer allowed a Human-Turned-Demon to possess the kid?] Rayi spoke, her voice echoing strangely in my head.

He must have, I answered. Out loud, I said, "I suppose you were fired."

His expression turned shamed as he ducked his head. I sighed and rubbed my temples. "I'm sorry, Ma."

I shook my head and turned the key in the ignition. "I'm not upset with you. Let's keep the jail thing between you and me, though."

"How are we going to explain my face?" he questioned.

As I drove on Main Street, I pondered it. It was obvious he had gotten into a fight, that much was not easily explained. I almost felt bad for doing this, but I said, "My brother. We'll say you were attacked by him."

Zach studied me as I kept my eyes on the road. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my conscience nibbling over the fact I was about to lie again to Will in one day. I tried not to make lying to him a habit, but I knew how he would react if he found out Zach had been arrested, regardless of the reason. Despite his age, he was still just as hotheaded as the day we had met.

We got back to the house a few minutes later. To my amusement, Zach stood behind me, his hand gripping my shirt. I looked up at him, just three inches shorter than Will's hulking frame, and giggled. He used to do this when he was younger and knew he was in trouble with Papa.

"Acting like a child again, huh?" I gently pried his fingers off my shirt and let him hold my hand.

He scowled lightly, his face pink, but squeezed my hand when we stepped inside. I called, "We're back."

"In the dining room!" Will answered, his voice muffled. He was probably eating.

I led him into the dining room. Everyone was seated, Joel included, eating their food. Emily gasped and stood when she saw Zach's face, rushing over to him.

"Zach! What happened?!" Her cry alarmed Will, who also pushed his chair back and gripped Zach's shoulders.

Zach's ears began to turn red in his embarrassment. Keith's face was blank and he resumed eating. Cole didn't even look up, preoccupied with his sesame chicken.

"Zane jumped me. I managed to get a few hits in." Zach mumbled, showing Will his knuckles.

Emily whimpered and grabbed his injured hand. He smiled softly at her. "I'm okay, little sis. No need to worry."

Will snarled, his hands turning into fists. "Bastard! He came back?!"

Joel's blue eyes met mine and I quickly looked away. Only he and Cole would be able to see through my lie.

"How come you haven't healed?" Emily asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Zane's powers have become unpredictable. It's not impossible for him to learn of a way to hinder an angel's regenerative abilities." I theorized.

Will nudged Zach. "Why don't you go apply some medicine to your face? It should help speed up the healing process."

Zach nodded and left the dining room. Emily, Will, and I sat down to eat. I wasn't in the mood to eat anymore, picking halfheartedly at my beef fried rice. I could feel Joel's eyes on me and looked up to meet them. He blinked at me in disapproval.

After dinner, Joel grabbed my arm before I could retreat upstairs. I pulled my arm back and turned to face him. He didn't look impressed.

I whispered, "You know how Will gets. It would be for the best he didn't know about a possession. Speaking of which, have you noticed anything odd today?"

He replied quietly, "A Human-Turned-Demon was exorcised by one of my angels. It was in a human boy from the school where Zach works."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Perfect. Lucifer is sniffing us out, one by one."

"Then, the next one would be either Emily or Cole. I'm sure Lucifer by now already knows Keith's whereabouts when he isn't here." Joel said, clasping his hands behind his back.

"What should I do? I can't keep them behind the barrier forever. Emily and Zach are a lot like Will; they hate being cooped up inside for too long."

"Let them out and conduct business as usual. If you show you are not afraid, they will be less inclined to be as afraid." He advised.

I toyed with a strand of my hair. I didn't like sending them out with Lucifer allowing Human-Turned-Demons to possess humans in the area; with one having already attacked Zach and he was barely able to fend it off. Who was to say Emily and Cole would be able to get away unscathed?

"You're right," I was loathed to say, "I can't show them I'm afraid."