Echoes (Dance with My Demons #2)

5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Damon

Her tiny, wringable neck bobs as she swallows hard. It's laughable, watching her feign confidence—trying to hide her fear.

Props to her. It's almost believable except her arms and legs are trembling ever so slightly as I tower above her. Still, she surprises me from time to time. Especially when she had the nerve to slap me across the face.

I see her eyes flash indignantly, her mind finally catching up to the situation. I wait, knowing something is coming.

"It doesn't matter," she says firmly. "I'll keep out of your way."

I survey her carefully, almost surprised at her resignation. It's as if she's accepted everything entirely, willing to overlook my so-called betrayal .

"Will you?" I ask casually.

Avery looks up, finding my face. "Yes."

"Hm." I pretend to think, fingers tapping on the table. "That doesn't work for me."

"What?" she sputters out. "Why not?"

I slowly walk toward her, noticing the way her legs fight the urge to scramble away. When I'm within reaching distance to her, I lift her chin with my pointer finger, tilting her face up.

"Because I'm not done with you yet."

Surprise and fear crosses her face, making my lips twitch in amusement. I love seeing the effect I have on people. Who needs violence to control people when you can control their minds and emotions? That's the thing about people here—Avery, especially—they are not in control of their emotions. They think that they are, but if that were the case, they never would have set foot inside Lilydale.

Emotions are useless.

Unless, of course, you have perfect control over them. If you can manipulate them, you can do anything. It's why I don't fear anything—why I don't feel sadness. It's weak, pathetic… some emotions do not deserve recognition. I don't care if we're supposed to be human— some make us vulnerable, and the second that happens, you give people the opportunity to control you.

Which is why I love to control.

Sure, I could lay hands on people. But eventually, we have the mental power to block out physical pain. Psychologically being in charge? That's much harder to fight. Plus, if we need to spill blood, I have Grey for that.

"Not done? What do you mean 'not done'?" Avery asks hesitantly.

I tilt my head to the side innocently, holding her gaze. "Despite everything, I still have use for you for now. But you'll only deal with me."

Her eyebrows crease together, my words processing through her fragile little mind. Yes—she won't be speaking with Grey. What I need her for is irrelevant to whatever sick little relationship they have. He can find new pussy to fuck with— preferably one that won't send him into a deadly spiral. I need him in control, focused.

"I really don't want to."

"I really don't give a fuck."

Avery's eyes gather tears, but she clenches her jaw, fighting back the urge to let them fall.

"And if I refuse? Are you just going to frame me again? Kill me? I don't care anymore, Damon. If you're going to do something, just do it."

I laugh, her small body jumping. "Oh, Avery. I wouldn't give you death. It's obvious you would welcome it. No, you'll work for me. You can refuse if you want, but it won't save you."

"Fuck you, Demon Boy," she suddenly spits out. My hand snaps down to her neck, my fingers wrapping around her skin.

"Don't test me," I warn her. "I'm not above getting my hands dirty. I'll subject you to a fate worse than death. Just consider this a courtesy call. I'll be in touch. Now, if you'll kindly leave the library, I think you'll find Connor waiting for you."

I release her neck with a shove. She stumbles slightly, regaining her footing. A quick glare is sent my way before she turns, storming out of the library. I watch her leave, the door swinging closed behind her, before it opens again less than a minute later.

"Grey," I greet coolly, watching as he walks toward me with his hands in his pockets. "I wasn't expecting to see you until this afternoon."

"What was that about?" he asks suspiciously.

I lean against the desk, folding my arms. "I was just welcoming Avery back. Aren't you meant to be in session with Christopher?"

Grey snorts. "I'd rather have my throat slashed again. So, are you going to tell me the real reason you dragged her in here?"

I smile at him, raising an eyebrow. "No. But when you need to know, I'll tell you."

His face hardens, all emotion leaving his eyes. Even without it present, I can still read his body language. I know he's surprised she's back, more so that I apparently brought her here. There's a part of him that's relieved, but an even bigger part that's fighting to destroy everything in his path. He's a walking paradox, a bomb ready to detonate into a bloodied mess of flowers and glass.

I have to handle this carefully. It's a delicate situation, and I know he wants answers.

I told him to wait last night—promising I'd fill him in later. I didn't give him a timeframe, but judging by the fact he's stalking the communal areas, he wants them now.

"Are you going to at least tell me what the fuck happened yesterday?" he asks in a low voice.

"What do you want to know?"

Grey leans against the end of a bookshelf. "You said you made a deal with the chairman."

"I did," I answer casually. "He wasn't too pleased but we have his balls in a vise for the time being."

He glares at me, unsatisfied with my answer. "Deadman. Spill it."

My face darkens. "Grey, you're my right-hand man, so you can get away with a lot. But you need to pull it back."

"This isn't just another move for you. This affects me too," he replies. "It's my life being dragged through it."

"Please," I scoff. "I warned you to keep away from her. You already knew the potential consequences. We don't need the same shit happening again. There's bigger things to focus on. Perhaps you should remember that instead of thinking with your dick."

Grey pushes off from the bookshelf, walking toward me. To anyone else, they would be worried—terrified even. But I know he won't lose control, he never does with me.

But he's mad… out for blood. I need to find a way for him to vent some of that frustration. Apparently, his last task wasn't enough, even if he did go partially rogue.

"It has nothing to do with my fucking cock."

"Don't insult me," I reply, paying no attention to the short distance between us. "Whether it's your dick or your emotions, you're too invested in this. You need to get control of it."

"I do have control," Grey answers, visibly relaxing. "I don't want to be kept in the dark."

I give him a tight smile. "You won't be. It will all become apparent soon enough. As for the board, they heard about the situation with Hallman and Arthur. It wasn't just for the society's benefit, but yours too. I need you to focus on your tasks. We're at a critical point now."

Grey lets out a long breath. "What do you need from me?"

"Make sure Jillian and Byrone are still on track. Security measurements are tightening here. The formal investigation is done, but despite our visit to Arthur, we can still expect some pushback."

He nods in agreement. "What do you think he has planned?"

Laughing, I shrug. "Probably the same bullshit as always. He won't do the obvious segregation tactics. With Hallman's death being a suicide, it would be fruitless punishing the collective. It would make him look like the bad guy. No, he'll want to try to control the situation from the inside."

"So, he'll be gathering intel, trying to get people on his side."

"Precisely. It's likely he'll have alerted the staff to keep tabs, but I suspect he'll also be trying to find some sheep as well—students that are stupid enough to side with him."

Grey's eyes widen slightly. "You think he's gotten to Avery?"

He always was a smart man. Grey reads people just as well as I do, if only he had complete control over his emotions. He did —until she came along. Which is why I need them separated for now.

"Definitely. Or at least, he will be trying," I confirm. "At the moment, she's the only one he'd have leverage with—not to mention your relationship with her. It's possible he'll have more people, but it's not likely they will have enough to give him the information that he wants."

Anger crosses Grey's face and I sigh. Here we go—those fucking emotions again.

"So, you're going to keep a handle on her?"

"I'm going to make sure she doesn't fucking speak," I correct. "Plus, like you said, she might have more useful benefits down the line. But at the moment, we need to keep everything off Arthur's radar. I have no doubt the board is scrambling to do damage control."

Grey nods sternly. "And you'll tell me more when it's relevant." It's not a question, but a demand.

"Yes," I answer, standing up straight. "So for now, I need you to prepare the society. Call for an emergency meeting tomorrow night. Have Leighton assist with preparations."

"Who needs to attend?" he asks.

"Everyone. I want all the members. It's important that we are all across this. We might need to review some of the operations and escalate them."

"Alright. Anything else?"

I scan his face carefully, knowing my next few words might tip him over the edge. "Yes. Avery will need to attend as well, but I'll pass the message along to her."

"Fine," he grunts, turning to head toward the door, but I'm not done.

"One more thing," I start, making him stop short. "You should know that Arthur has started punishing her."

Grey swings around, face blank. "Punishing how?" he says tonelessly, but underneath, I can see his blood start to boil.

I choose my words carefully, doing my best to weaponize—and subdue—my friend. "Connor has relayed the information that she's currently being subjected to chores."

His face twitches slightly in confusion and annoyance. "So, what? We all have designated jobs around here. It's nothing new."

"I'm aware," I snipe back. "But this will extend beyond that according to my information. You'll do well not to get involved."

"I'm not getting involved," he scoffs back in frustration. "Avery and I are done. We were done the moment she chose someone else."

"Good," I answer casually. "But if you see her scathed, remember that. Because we can't have you flying off the handle and ruining things. I'll find a way for you to vent your frustration, but you need to trust me and give me time."

Grey gives me a firm nod. "I do trust you."

I hear his words but I also see the way his fists have curled into a ball, the way his spine has straightened at the mention of her being hurt. This is going to be one hell of a task keeping him calm if he comes across her, but it's better he has some warning. I know how he processes things, how he makes plans to cover every single situation. At least now, he knows what to expect, so he won't be surprised. He loves control, needing to be in the know just like me. Knowledge is power, and I've given him that. It's up to him to respond to the situation accordingly.

It's just a matter of whether or not she's gotten her claws into him deep enough to disrupt that hard wiring that runs through his body and mind.