“So if you just do those things we’ll be fine, kay?” The female in front of me says after delivering her weird ass speech about needing to stay away from her male and to make sure I don’t make an enemy out of her. Blah, blah, blah. I inwardly roll my eyes. It’s always the same.

I scratch the side of my head with a finger. “I’m sorry, but what exactly gave you the impression that I cared?”

Her face hardens. “Excuse me?”

I raise a brow. “You heard me. I don’t give a shit what you’ve got to say. I’m not really here to make friends. Got me?”

She takes a step forward, threateningly. “Why, you little-”

I hold my hand up and give her a pitying smile. “Seriously, there’s no need to bring my height into this. I’m just looking around.” I start to walk past her and catch a glimpse of Hunter and Talon with three other men before I feel the girl’s hand clamp on my arm. I turn my head to hers and glare at her. “You’ll want to let me go.”

She scoffs. “Please, I’m not hurting you. Although for the way you talked to me, I sure as shit would like to.”

I grin wickedly. “Well, if that’s all you wanted, why didn’t you say so?” I sweep my arm out. “Lead the way so you can attempt to kick the newbies ass.”

“Attempt?” She sneers, getting into my face. “I will kick your ass little girl. Make no mistake about that.”

The girl leads me to an empty area where there’s a mat laying on the ground.

“Weapons allowed?” I ask, not bothering to take my coat off.

“Of course. Anything goes. Even whatever powers you may have. Just don’t kill or hurt to the point of taking the other out of commision for longer than a few hours.”

“What’s your name again?” I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop my laugh when her face turns red.

“My name is Ada. Yours?”

“Mercy,” I reply absently. My eyes catch sight of the group of males and females surrounding us, including Talon, Hunter and their friends. Many of the people are murmuring around us. I can catch a word here and there and from what I’m understanding these people think I’m crazy for taking Ada on while being a newbie.

She snorts. “Is that really your name? I can smell the demon in you. Isn’t that a little ironic? Naming a demon Mercy?”

I stare at her, unimpressed. “Are you going to keep talking or actually come at me?”

She disappears in front of me. I let her get past my defenses and feel her foot digging into my back a second later, kicking me forward, making me stumble forward slightly. A curse leaves her lips, making me think that she was meaning to knock me off my feet instead of making me stumble a little bit.

I turn slowly, facing her and tilt my head. “You’re a vampire?”

Ada glares at me. “Yes, how’d you know that just from me kicking you and disappearing from your sight? You’re a demon, not a shifter or a vamp so you shouldn’t be able to tell what I am by just how fast I am.”

I nod my head to her, conceding that. “True. Well, sort of.” I pause while I summon fire into my hand then make it quickly disappear. “I’m not a demon. I’m a half-demon. There’s a difference. Half-demons, or at least I can tell what someone is if I’m paying close enough attention. My instincts tell me. Not you touching me. Not scent. Not even the way you walk. The only beings easy to tell what they are by looking is either angels of any kind or demons and born vamps because of their eyes. And if you can see through their glamour, fae. Oh, and elves,” I add as an afterthought. “You’re a turned vamp so your eyes are still the color of a humans.”

Ada’s fangs flash as she grins wickedly. “Really? A half-demon? And they let you in here? Most of your kind don’t last for long in our world. You’d be better off staying in the mortal world.”

I shrug, not willing to show any pain at the mention of being in the mortal world. “Meh. Would have been nice but every single race out there wouldn’t let me live in that kind of bliss. Personally, I’d have preferred it. But then, there are plenty of dumbasses like you out there that aren’t willing to let me be.”

I smile as Ada’s face flushes in anger. Good. Let her get angry then try that sneak attack bullshit. I won’t let her get another hit in. I wanted to see how hard she’d hit so I let her get to me.

It hurt, but didn’t hurt as bad as it should have. Which means she’s severely holding back. Damn. This won’t be that much fun if we’re expected to hold back.

Ada moves, her anger showing just enough in her movements to make it show although she’s still almost too fast to be seen. I dodge the first couple hits she throws at me but one punch gets through my defenses and grazes my temple. I kick my foot out and it connects to her ribs pushing her back. I duck her next punch and dodge the kick that she throws my way before trying to deliver another punch to my face.

I catch Ada’s fist in mine and chuckle as she scowls. “Unless my uncle was the one who taught you to fight, the chances of you winning in a fair fist fight against me are slim.” I push her hand away from my body, making her stumble back and almost lose her balance. I toss her one of the daggers off my hip. “Let’s make it fun, shall we? I don’t want to have to keep dodging your hits and kicks.”

“Who’s your uncle?” She asks while getting a feel for the dagger in her hands, though her tone says she couldn’t give a shit.

“Roderick.”

Ada’s face turns skeptical as she eyes me. “Really?”

I pull my other dagger off my hip and spin it in my fingers. “Really, really. He’s a dick sometimes, but since he taught me how to fight I’m perfectly okay with that.”

Ada rolls her shoulders. “Alright, I apparently have no hope of getting at you using my fists and feet. At least if your story is to be believed.”

I simply smile, knowing that she’s trying to rile me up and get me sloppy. Usually I’m the one goading. It’s kind of amusing being on the receiving end for once.

Keeping my eyes on her I hear the people around us grumbling to get on with it. I’m not really paying too much attention on them because I want to know when she moves.

I swallow a chuckle when I feel the earth shake and rumble beneath my feet.

Depending on the vampire, vampires have the ability to call on the elements. Some can call all, other’s a few of them. There are some that can only call one element or none at all. As well as their affinity to the elements born vampires are gifted with a power that has nothing to do with the elements. Most will keep their powers hidden and prefer not to tell others what their powers are, unless they’re fighting.

From what I heard, most of the people in the Order knows everyone else’s powers in here too, so there’s only the nasty shock factor for me.

Lovely.

I stay rooted in place as large clumps of earth circle around Ada before simultaneously coming towards me. I manage to evade most of them but one ends up slamming into my chest, making me gasp for air as I’m nearly thrown off my feet onto my back.

Almost as soon as the first wave of assault is finished, Ada’s throwing more clumps at me. I evade most, getting clipped in a few places and managing to avoid a full frontal hit again while I summon my flame in my hand and infuse it into my dagger.

The noise of people cheering around us dies down while I hurriedly use my flaming blade to cut through the chunks being hurled at me. The flames disappear from the dagger as I absorb them back into me.

Ada shrieks angrily. The remaining pieces of earth floating in the air fall to the ground as Ada glares at me. She gives up using her magic and instead throws the dagger I had given to her back at me, aiming for my throat. I snatch the dagger out of the air skillfully before it hits and put both back in their place on my hips.

“If you didn’t want my dagger to use, you just had to say something. You didn’t need to throw it at me,” I say with a smirk, enjoying the flush on Ada’s face. “Is it my turn yet?”

Ada snarls and throws herself at me, intending to tackle me or hit me, I’m not sure but I don’t give her the chance to either. I grab her shirt and, using her momentum against her, I throw her over my back head first onto the ground. While she’s catching her breath and probably trying to see straight, I stand over her shaking my head.

“I don’t recommend getting up. I’m not playing this stupid ass game of who’s got the bigger dick. Especially since we’re females so we technically don’t have that specific anatomy.” I crouch down next to her. “The next time you decide to try telling me how things are done, who to stay away from and anything else you think I might want to know, remember this: I don’t give a shit. I play by my own rules so long as it keeps me alive.”

I slowly move into an upright position, taking in the raised eyebrows around me without any emotion. Shocking people used to be fun but it’s not so much anymore. I shake my head at the crowd and walk out to go back to my room.

Three hours later my phone rings with my moms ringtone.

“Mom, did you make it home safe?”

“Yes, Mimi, I did.”

“Any signs of Jerome when you got to town?” I ask.

“Not that I saw. I just got off the phone with your uncle though. I told him that you were at the Order. He said that he’ll be there soon to check on you, he just has a few things he needs to work out before he can get away.”

“What is he even doing?”

I honestly don’t know what my uncle does when he has things he has to do. He’s never told me what he does, but seeing as most demons aren’t really good I’m guessing it’s something that could get him in some kind of trouble if it comes back to bite him on the ass.

“I don’t know, Mimi. You know the only thing your uncle talks to me about is you. He doesn’t think I need to know since it doesn’t pertain to you, so he doesn’t tell me.”

“I guess so.” Uncle Roderick doesn’t like humans. He tolerates my mom because she’s, well, my mom. He loves me because I’m not all human and have demon blood running through my veins. I’m also the last connection he has to his dead brother.

“How’re things there? You’ve been there for a few hours now. Is everyone nice?”

Ah, my mom. The optimist. What I’d give to be able to look at the world through her rose colored glasses.

“Yeah, sure, mom. They’re great,” I lie.

“You’ve been fighting, haven’t you?” Damn it. She’s always calling me on my bullshit.

“Uh, sort of?”

“What do you mean sort of? How have you ‘sort of’ been fighting?”

I shrug even though she can’t see it. “This girl got up in my face, then she thought it’d be a good idea to grab me. I don’t think she’ll make that mistake again.”

“Why’d she get in your face?”

“Because that’s kind of typical of the mean girls of the world, mom. They think they own everything, that everyone has to bow down before them. Just because there aren’t humans here, except for the ones around for the vampire’s snack, doesn’t mean this place will be any different than high school.”

Mom sighs. “I wish you could just get along with people, Mercy. Not everyone is out to get you.”

“Until someone can prove they aren’t out to get me, I don’t play nice. You know that, ma.”

“I know honey. Now, let’s talk about something else. Tell me are there any cute boys there?”

I groan and drop my head into my hand.