Demon Hunters: Book 1 Faith [editing]

Chapter 8

The bell rang and a flood of the students streamed into the hallways. Good heavens! The chatter about who was dating who and about which couple would be named the Homecoming King and Queen and about which homework assignment was due that day and about what was on the quiz for Mrs. Shetler's class and which boy was cute and which girl as too slutty and...

"Ahhh!" Zoe crumpled back against the wall, hands to her ears. Blasted, human children!

"Are you okay?" Clyde, the office aid, asked.

Zoe closed her eyes and tried to block out the onslaught of stimulation. She pulled her inner self away, searching for something to center on. She gasped at that moment. The heart beats, the breathing, the small tiny bits of demonic energy! Demons. Two of them.

She straightened up and nearly drew her dagger from its hiding place as she scanned the faces in the crowds. Somewhere.

"Uh." Clyde tapped her shoulder. Zoe's hand whipped with lightning speed towards his throat, but stopped short of crushing his larynx. The boy's eyes bulged. Zoe released him.

The demonic energy faded. She sighed. "Sorry, I'm just nervous." She did her best shrug.

"Okay, yeah. Sure." He backed away. "Your class is around the corner over there." He pointed down the hall. "Room 223. Mrs. Willow." Clyde ran off into the crowd, fear still evident in his eyes.

Humans are so fragile!

The rush slowed and the students milled about their lockers, stuffing books and binders into their backpacks before turning down the hallway. Muriel had given her the layout of the school and where to find the room of Mr. Melvin Brady, the first of two teachers on the potential "hit" list. "Just track him down and see if he emits demonic energy," Muriel said. "If he does, then you know he's probably the scion."

"Don't kill him in public," Zacharias warned. "I don't really want to clean up that kind of a mess."

Mrs. Willow stood at the door and greeted the students as they entered the classroom. "Good morning."

Zoe considered her for a little bit. Why was she acting so happy? Her heartbeat indicated hypertension and her weight suggested Type 2 Diabetes. This woman is tired, but is acting as if she has all the energy in the world.

"Hello, there." Mrs. Willow smiled even brighter. "You must be a new student. Do you mind?" She reached over and plucked the schedule from Zoe's hand.

"Yes. That's right. I'm new."

"Oh, don't be nervous. You'll do fine here."

Did I sound nervous? Zoe still hadn't figured out youth speech patterns yet.

Mrs. Willow glanced at the schedule. "Zoe, I'm so happy to have you in class. Go ahead and sit in that seat back there by the window."

Zoe took the schedule and nodded.

"Riley!" Mrs. Willow exclaimed. "I hope you are feeling better today?"

Zoe turned to see the green-eyed girl walk into the room on her crutches. A teenage boy boy with dreadlocks carried her backpack behind her. "Okay, I guess. Doctor said I had to wait at least a couple of weeks."

"Won't be long," she replied cheerfully. "Oh, we have a new student." Mrs. Willow pointed to Zoe. "I think she's nervous," she whispered.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of her."

Zoe pretended to fumble with her backpack and not to notice Riley coming in her direction.

"Okay, here you go, Riley," the boy said, as he left the books by her desk.