Who I am

Hidden Tensions

Study hall couldn't come fast enough. Today was so slow, it felt one period was a day. I needed an excuse to move around, i.e, go kill some demons. When I go into study hall, I sit down nothing with me. "Ari? Where's your homework or more importantly your books?" Jaiden asks. I raise my hands."That's your book? You didn't bring one?" She asks, surprised. I nod. My eyes wander around the room and rest on Jace, Alec, and Isabelle waiting for me.

"Gotta go." I say.

"Where are you going?" She calls.

"I just have to go." I say. She doesn't see the other Shadowhunters. "By the Angel, thank you. Today was so slow, I thought I was going to die." I say, walking in the middle of the group.

"Well, maybe you should stay with us full time, then you wouldn't be bored." Alec suggests, looking innocent, his piercing blue eyes hiding an underlying mischief.

"Yeah, your Shadowhunter senses cannot be sitting in school. You'll crack at some point." Jace says, like this is supposed to happen. How does he even know? He's never had to deal with it. 

"Guys, I can't just drop out. My friends will definitely ask what going on. I can't just walk out." I say, thinking if that would really work.

"Ari, I know these aren't really your friends. Sure, they are people you spend time with because you have to. But if you had the choice, would you hang with mundanes or us?" Jace challenges. He brings up a point, it's a no brainer.

"You already know that answer, but I still cannot just ditch here, my fr-classmates would seriously drill me on this." I say, not realizing how desperately I wanted to get free of this cage of not moving. Isabelle sees this.

"Come on, you know you want it so badly, I can see it in your eyes."

"Whatever, let's just get outside." I grumble.

"Ari, admit-"

"Jace! I don't want to talk about it! Let's go!" I snap, my patience wearing thin. I know that would never happen if I were able to move all the time, like the others can. I keep my eyes down, already feeling bad for snapping. We walk in silence and fan out like we have since we decided to do this. I stalk around the football field and then prowl around the concrete and basketball courts. I hear a slithering noise. My Nephilim instincts kick in and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Out of nowhere I hear three other cries of alarm mixed with my own.

Four Oni demons jump out in front of each of us. But this time, the other three lumber toward me. Oni demons are smarter than Raum, and they are more dangerous. "Guys! Help!" I know my limits, and one Oni is enough. Jace is the first to react, he chucks a dagger into one. It barely acknowledges that there a dagger protruds from its back. 

Alec and Isabelle, spurred by that act, sprint over and fight a demon of their own. They manage to draw them away, but I am left with the biggest. I take out Cassidy and Ithuriel. I slice and slash at the Oni, but it just deflects them with ease.

It makes a lunge for me. Taken aback by how fast it is for a large creature, it manages to nick my arm. I draw a quick intake of breath and roll between its feet and come up behind it. I stab its back and ichor runs down its back. It roars in pain and knocks me backward. I fly through the air and land on my back. The Oni advances. I flip onto my front and push up and move. Right where I just was, the demon's fist slams into the ground. I slice at the Oni's chest but it knocks the sword away. I hear my name and a glance around, but that was the distraction that the Oni needed.

A stab of pain shoots through my arm and something warm runs down my shirt. I ignore it and stab its leg. This time ichor dribbles down. Geez, they don't know when to quit. Another slash of pain and then something running down my cheek. I pull out a dagger, a thick silver one, and chuck it. It flies right where I need it to. It buries itself into the Oni's chest. It screams and makes one more swipe with his hand. It hits me in the jaw and sends me staggering away, reeling in pain as I drop to my knees. The pain makes my head throb as it disappears in dust.