Nephilim: Children of Angels

13: Knowledge is Bribery

The long silence that follows is broken by an outburst of laughter from Ambien.

Miguel jumps to his feet. His fist clench and unclench at his sides, his stance saying he's ready for a fight.

"She is only doing her job." I intercede, trying to keep Miguel from getting himself hurt even more. What happened to minding my own business? Why do I keep intervening for this hot head?

"You're wrong about Janine, Miguel." Ambien sings, twirling around the table over to where he stands.

Miguel pays Ambien no mind, glaring at Janine who returns his gaze with a challenging one, as if she would like nothing more than to tear him apart. Ambien plucks one of the bolts from Miguel's side, making him flinch, but still he doesn't look away from Janine.

"She's a witch." Ambien declares, pointing the bolt at him as if it were a wand. "Abracadabra." She says, feigning putting a spell on him.

"Demon, witch. Is there a difference?" Miguel asks rhetorically, not breaking eye contact with the alleged witch.

"Of course, there is, you ignoramus." Janine spits, then she lets out a long sigh. "You can't cure stupid." She mutters, walking past Ambien and Miguel to sit at the table with the rest of us. I flinch at the loud scrape of the chair in the silence of the room created by us all holding our breath.

She sits, folding her hands on the table. "I suppose it's not your fault you are ignorant. It's one of the policies of this place I cannot say I agree with." Janine states, one of her characteristic smiles on her face that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "It's probably best Dr. Hemsworth doesn't hear about this." She continues, scanning us for a response. She purses her lips at our silence.

I glance at Miguel who is still glaring at Janine, his arms now crossed over his chest.

"I will make you a deal. You keep this incident to yourselves, and I'll answer one question for each of you." Janine offers.

I have so many questions I feel she owes an answer to, but I don't get a chance to respond.

"Deal." Miguel agrees for all of us, taking the seat closest to Janine, overly eager at the opportunity he's been presented.

"Miguel was the victim of the magical assault, so if he's fine with it then, I guess." Kali concurs.

I think the part Janine is worried about keeping secret is less the assault and more the magic. For whatever reason, Dr. Hemsworth wants to keep us ignorant. Maybe so we don't freak out?

"Are there demons and is Dr. Hemsworth one?" Miguel asks triumphantly.

"I said one, Miguel." Janine replies.

The glare returns to his handsome face. His jaw clinches as he grinds his teeth in frustration.

"Is Dr. Hemsworth, human?" he asks with careful consideration. Really?

"As human as you are." Janine replies vaguely.

"Really, after all that? Your question doesn't even include the word, demon." Kali snorts in astonishment.

"If I asked if she's a demon and she says no, I get no information. If I ask if there are demons, that does not tell me if Dr. Hemsworth is one. But now we know Dr. Hemsworth isn't human." Miguel reasons.

"Pfft." Kali scoffs.

"You ask if she is a demon, then." Miguel snaps, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair with a pout.

"No way I am wasting my question on something so stupid." Kali responds.

"What are you going to ask, then?" Miguel demands, that mocking smirk of his, present.