"How many of you believe in heaven in hell?" Ms. Pierce asked, point blank.

Sage, Alicia, and Wes raised their hands. I wanted to raise my hand but truth be told, I was always on the fence when it came to anything biblical.

"Well, hopefully, that will make some of this a bit easier."

I could hear a chuckle behind me and turned to see Declan laughing.

"So you're about to tell us what? Heaven and hell and everything that goes with it is real or some bullshit like that?"

Even Lucas and Lolly laughed but Ms. Pierce just stood there, stone-faced. When everyone quieted down Ms. Pierce pursed her lips and asked, "Would that be so hard to believe?"

This time it was Wes who spoke.

"I know I raised my hand but that's because to believe in something like that is a nice idea. Helps to give peace of mind. But to think that they are actual places? That's asking a lot."

"Even if it was, what in the world would that have to do with us?" Alicia added.

Ms. Pierce gave a small tap of her foot and soon the same door she had just walked through opened and in walked Mr. B, with a man strapped to a chair. Everyone jumped to their feet. 

"So now you're holding people hostage?" I couldn't help but cry out.

"Alicia asked what this all has to do with you and I feel it is best if I show you rather than tell you."

Ms. Pierce walked over to the man in the chair and pulled out a small glass bottle, filled with some blue liquid, from her pocket. She uncapped the bottle and began to pour it over the man's head. He screamed in pain like he was being burned or being stabbed. Some of us gasped, Sage yelled "What the hell!" and Wes looked as if he was about to step in and try to help the man. All of us quieted though as the man's face slowly started to change.

The man's skin changed from a dark tan to a crimson red, and two bumps on each side of his forehead began to protrude from the skin. The protrusions grew until they showed, what I could only describe as horns, about a foot long. His eyes changed from a dark green to pitch black and when he cringed in pain we all could clearly see sharp pointed teeth.

This was no man at all, this was a monster. I took several steps backward afraid of being too close to this thing. Ms. Pierce walked over to the monster who was still screaming in pain and injected him in the arm with a syringe. With in seconds, it fell asleep.

"This, everyone, is a demon."

I expected to hear shouts of protest or denial but everyone was quiet. I guess Ms. Pierce took our shock as an opening.

"Just like you all are half demons."

Well, that did get a response out of everyone. Alicia yelled out "No way." While Lolly turned and put her face into Lucas' chest where he held her tight and tried to soothe her small cries.

"Bullshit!" Declan yelled, "This is gotta be some joke or stunt. How did you pull this off?"

Sage and Wes, were both still silent, just staring at the thing in the chair.

Myself, well, I found myself slowly walking towards the monster. It was like my legs had a mind of their own. My brain yelled "Stop" but I kept moving forward. When I reached it I slowly lifted my shaking hands and lightly grabbed its face to get a closer look.

I was terrified it would wake up. Then again deep down I wished he would wake up, wipe off the makeup and shout "Got Ya!" But as I ran my fingers over the rough red skin I could tell right away that this was not makeup. I ran one of my hands up the side of its face till I reached a horn and very carefully ran the tip of my finger over it. They felt like stone, with small scale-like shapes carved all over. I turned from the monster and noticed that everyone was now staring at me. Ignoring their stares I walked back to my seat, sat down.

"Tell us more."

Everyone took their turn following my lead and sat down. Alicia took the longest, pacing in the back of the room talking to herself before finally taking the last seat. Ms. Pierce took the cue and began explaining

"I don't want to tell you all everything there is to know. At least not today. I feel you all have already been overwhelmed with too much too fast. What I will say is that you all are what we refer to as Dembion. Though some prefer the term dark blood. It's what a child who is born from the joining of a human woman and a male demon is called. Though there are some rare cases of human males impregnating demon females."

"How come we don't look like that?" Lolly asked nodding towards the demon as Mr. B was dragging it from the room.

"Well Lolly, in most cases dembion's take on the appearance of their human parent."

Ms. Pierce started to walk along the row of chairs looking to each of us as if waiting for the next question. I thought about the things we all had in common.

"What does this have to do with the birthdays and the blackouts?"

"I'm glad you asked, Chloe," Ms. Pierce said, walking back to the front of the room. 

"All of you were born December 2001, within days of each other. Which means this past December you all turned sixteen. When dembion's turn sixteen they all flip, like a switch. The demon side of them breaks through and in most cases lashes out at those around them. It could be something small to trigger it and in others something big. Either way, when the switch is flipped, it's such a powerful process that it causes the dembion to blackout. Leaving complete control of their body to the power."

I took this all in and wasn't sure if this made me feel better or worse about what I did to Kelly. Part of me felt like at least it wasn't my fault, at least I wasn't some violent crazy person. Then again being part demon, or whatever didn't exactly feel like a positive thing either. Maybe this meant I had a bigger evil in me all along.

There were still so many questions I had rolling around in my mind, but I knew if I asked them all it would be too much information to handle. Too much for everyone. Ms. Pierce must have thought so too.

"Tomorrow morning instead of going to your usual classes I need you all to report here. Mr. B will be waiting for you all at the basement doorway. You all have a lot to learn, and not a lot of time to learn it."

She left the room through the door by the dry erase board and we were all left alone, no one moved. Of course, the silence couldn't last long.

"Anyone think this is a load of crap?" Declan asked standing up to flip his chair around and sit on it backward.

Lucas didn't seem to want to talk about it, instead, he got up and walked out of the room with Lolly trailing behind him. I felt eyes on me and looked to find both Sage and Wes looking at me.

"What?"

"Is it real?" Sage asked me.

"How am I suppose to know?"

It wasn't like I knew anything more than they did. This time Wes spoke,"You touched it, did it feel real?"

I thought back to my fingers running along the horns, and the way the skin felt. I gave them the only answer I could come up with, "It felt as real as you and me."

Wes slumped down looking at the ground trying to come to terms, while Sage just nodded looking off into space.

"Well, I need more proof than that," Declan declared and stormed off out of the room.

I'm not sure when Alicia left but when I looked around I saw no sight of her. Wes, Sage, and I all looked at each other and silently agreed it was time to go.

I got to my room half expecting Lolly not to be there but instead, there she was sitting on her bed with her head in her hands. Maybe she needed time alone to process everything, then again maybe she just needed a friend. I sat on the end of her bed not really sure whether I should say something or just sit quietly with her.

"I'm okay, really," she said through her hands. 

I thought about how I was feeling, how everyone must have been feeling.

"It's okay to not be okay, Lolly. This all feels unreal."

Lolly lifted her head from her hands.

"It's not me I'm worried about, it's Lucas. You don't understand what he went through growing up."

She got up to look out through the bars in the one window.

"His mom hated him. She was always telling him how he was this horrible evil kid, the spawn of Satan she would say." Her faraway gaze went from the window to me. "Now to find out that it's true, or at least somewhat true, it hit him really hard."

I wanted to say I knew how that felt, or that I understood. But the truth was, I didn't understand any of this. Part of me still expected I'd wake up and find out this was all just some bad dream. I had never attacked Kelly, was never arrested, never sent here, and never seen a, well that thing in the basement. I guess it was hard to even think the word. It occurred to me then that I hadn't eaten since this morning, but the idea of food made my stomach turn. Instead, I climbed into my bed as Lolly climbed into hers and tried to close my eyes. I hoped and prayed when I woke up things would be different.

The sound of guards banging rapidly on the doors woke me from a deep sleep. I looked out of the window and saw it was still dark. Confused I opened the door to find the guards running up and down the hall frantically and some even running into rooms to drag girls out while an alarm played loudly from the P.A. system. Just as I felt Lolly step up beside me a guard came running from the room next to ours and yelled, "Go outside now!"

Without changing or grabbing anything, Lolly and I took off down the hall and headed for the stairs where the boy's dorms were also emptying out. Once outside we looked around at all the kids, and guards who were now congregated in the middle of the running track. I turned to look at the building and my eyes immediately darted to a window on the fourth floor.

Through the bars in the window, all I could see were bright red and orange flames. At that second the glass busted and the flames began to snake around the edges of the window like they were scratching at the bricks on the outside of the building. Once I was able to drag my gaze from the fire I looked for the class B kids and noticed them off to one side.

Declan and Wes were standing on the outside of the group talking to Sage and Alicia. I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding in, but Lolly took off towards them in a full sprint. When I reached her and the group I heard her desperately ask "Where's Lucas?"

Declan hung his head while We grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her to face towards the building.

"That, " he said, pointing towards the inflamed window, "is Lucas' room."

Lolly screamed and her body jerked as if she were about to take off back inside. Thankfully Wes still held on to her to keep her from doing so, but she fought. Lolly dug her feet into the ground trying to pull out of Wes' hold. For someone so small she sure put up a hell of a fight. She looked like she was almost free when Wes' grip started to slip. So Declan came to help and wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet. Lolly started kicking and screaming, more than a few times she managed to dig her nails into Declan's arms but he held on tight.

Then in a blink of an eye, she was gone and Declan was knocked to the ground with empty arms. He looked around himself as if he was expecting to find her on the ground beside him, or even under him. When there was obviously no sign of her he quickly scrambled to his feet.

"Lucas!"

I heard her voice cry out from far away and turn to just barely see Lolly in the window surrounded by flames. She tried to call out again but started coughing instead and placed her arm over her mouth. Just as quickly as she left Declan's arms she appeared back on the ground standing next to me.

Her rainbow hair was singed on the ends and her clothes were covered in soot and ash. Just like many things that happened today, I had a hard time processing what I just saw. I brushed the shock away, my concern now was Lolly's well being. Grabbing her in a hug I looked to see if she was okay, but she wasn't okay, she was crying and coughing. Her tiny body shook in my arms as she lost all grip on her emotions. Lolly's crying turned into screaming and her legs went limp as she fell to the ground. I fell with her refusing to let go and let her feel alone.

"I couldn't find him!" she screamed out and started with another coughing fit.

Luckily for Landry's some of the guards were able to put out the fire before the fire department arrived. Paramedics walked around the kids checking to see if anyone was harmed and when they came across Lolly they tried to pry her away to examine her. I let go to allow them to do so but it was now Lolly holding on to me refusing to let go.

The paramedics examined her as best they could while she clung to me. As far as they could tell she would be fine but they did suggest she receive a breathing treatment in the nurse's office once we were allowed back inside. Turned out just a few minutes later Ms. Pierce was announcing to the crowd that the fire was contained in one room and then put out. They were allowing us to go back to our rooms with the exception of the class B kids, who would be bunking in the cafeteria under the watch of several guards.

I tried to get Lolly to her feet so we could head in and go to the nurse's office but she refused to move. Wes picked her up, holding Lolly's tiny body in his arms he began to carry her inside. He walked straight to the nurse's office with all of us following behind. I don't think any of us felt as if we could leave her.

We reached the nurse's office to find a big bright room with four beds lined up along the wall and one elderly woman attending to a kid laying in the bed farthest across the room. When she turned around to greet us we all breathed a sigh of relief.

In the bed laid Lucas. His clothes weren't burnt and not a strand of bright red hair was out of place. He was however fast asleep and didn't even wake when Lolly screamed and jumped out of Wes' arms. She ran over and easily squeezed her tiny body onto the edge of the bed, wrapping her self around Lucas. I looked around to see that everyone, even Alicia, was smiling at the scene in front of us.

A knock at the door got our attention then and in walked Ms. Pierce followed by the ever-hovering Mr. B. Ms. Pierce looked at Lolly and Lucas and gave the first ever genuine smile I think I had ever seen from her. Sage walked over to Ms. Pierce and asked what we were all thinking, "What happened?"

Ms. Pierce's smile faded just a little and she took a seat in a chair against the wall.

The nurse must have sensed something because she excused herself from the room. When the door shut behind her Ms. Pierce started.

"One of the things I had failed to mention earlier, is that with being a dembion comes abilities, powers. Demons have many but a dembion only inherits one of their demonic parent's abilities. I was going to start testing you all to see what power you have but in times of stress or duress, they can manifest."

Her gaze left us and returned to Lolly and Lucas.

"Today's news must have hit Lucas hard. After leaving the basement and returning to his room he started pacing. He paced for hours, at times talking to himself and at other times throwing things around his room. Then he exploded."

It was Wes who asked then, "Exploded?"

Ms. Pierce nodded, "It appears Lucas possesses pyrokinesis abilities. When his emotions peaked the flames appeared in his hands. Mr. B and I tried to calm him down but it didn't work. He got scared, which made it worse and the flames got bigger catching the room on fire. To control the situation we had to give him a tranquilizer. The fire in his hands went out and we were able to bring him here."

I couldn't help but feel a rage growing in the pit of my stomach.

"So you knew something like this could happen and you just sent us back to our rooms?"

Ms. Pierce seemed shocked back to reality as my voice got louder.

"And you knew he was okay, you knew Lucas was fine right here in this room but instead of telling Lolly that he was okay you let her find out for herself? You knew she would have been worried about him! Do you have any idea how she must of felt thinking he was dead?"

I hadn't even realized I was digging my nails into the palms of my hands till I felt Wes wrap his hand around mine. Sage placed her hand on my opposite shoulder and I could feel they were both trying to calm me down, or maybe hold me back in case I tried to take a shot at Ms. Pierce. Instead, I closed my eyes and took some deep breaths, I didn't open my eyes again until I heard Ms. Pierce talk.

"I am truly sorry, Lolly. I should have told you he was okay."

Lolly just gave a quick "Mmm hmm" not fully taking her attention away from Lucas.

"I told them you guys weren't ready," Ms. Pierce mumbled as if she wasn't speaking to any of us but more to herself. She sat there staring into space until Mr. B cleared his throat and snapped her out of where ever her mind had wandered off to. She turned her attention back to Lolly and Lucas, and now speaking to us said, "Well two abilities down, and five more to go I guess."

"What do you mean by that?" Alicia asked still standing behind everyone, right next to the door.

Ms. Pierce brushed the wrinkles out of her clothes.

"Lucas is pyrokinetic, and Lolly can teleport. Now we need to see what the rest of you all can do. I'll see you all in the morning."

I thought back to Lolly disappearing outside, then seeing her in the fire, then again back outside right beside me. Yeah, I guess Lolly can teleport.

The nurse came back into the room just as Ms. Pierce was getting ready to exit, but before leaving she turned to Mr. B.

"Stay here with them. I have a feeling none of them want to leave each other tonight."

The nurses face looked worried by that statement so Ms. Pierce assured her, "They can sleep in here, they'll be fine, I promise. Mr. B will stay with them."

That seemed to relax the nurse so Ms. Pierce walked out.

Each of us looked around the room sizing up the remaining four beds. Without saying a word Alicia flopped down onto one and covered up right away. Both Declan and Wes looked to me and Sage and at the same time said, "Go ahead."

"No, then you guys would be sleeping on the floor. Look Sage and I can take one and just put our heads on opposite ends, right? And yall do the same in the other bed."

Sage nodded with a tired smile.

Declan looked to Wes with his brows arched.

"Want to be little spoon?"

Wes nearly choked on his laugh.

"Dude, if I wake up with your arms around me I'm going to kick your ass onto the floor."

Declan placed his hand over his heart with an exaggerated gasp.

"You wound me."

Wes playfully pushed Declan. Sage and I started heading to the third bed leaving the fourth for the boys. I only made it a couple of steps when I felt someone lightly grab my hand. I turned to see Wes with his eyebrows raised and one of his sly smiles across his mouth.

"You could be my little spoon."

I squinted my eyes at him and pulled my hand from his. Looks like flirty Wes was back. Declan Got excited though.

"Yes, let's do that! Sage can be my little spoon or big spoon, works either way for me."

Sage didn't even bother to look his way.

"In your dreams, Shaw."

He once again placed his hand over his heart but this time said nothing.

Everyone had settled in for the night, as best as possible anyway. The lights were turned off, all except for a small lamp on the nurse's desk. She was sitting there with headphones in and reading a book. Mr.B sat in a chair next to the door with his head resting against the wall. He looked like he was sleeping but I was pretty sure it wouldn't take much to wake him. As for myself, I couldn't sleep.

I laid with my head at the end of the bed while Sage slept with hers at the top. Declan and Wes did the same on the bed next to us. Now if I opened my eyes I would see Wes' face, fast asleep, just a couple feet from mine.

"Psst, Chloe?"

Okay, maybe he wasn't fast asleep after all.

I opened my eyes and yup, there were those gray-blue eyes looking back at me.

"Thought you were asleep."

"Thought you were too."

He lightly shook his head and a strand of dark brown hair fell over his face.

"Can't sleep, feels like so much has happened today."

I nodded.

"Same here, it's all too much to process."

"Then let's not talk about it. Process this shit in the morning." I could see the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. "Let's talk about you and me."

I tried to hold back the eye roll. Persistent ass.

"There is no you and me."

He couldn't hide the smile this time. I could feel Sage's legs move a little behind me, so I tried to lower my voice some more, "Why are you so interested in me anyway?"

"Well, I won't lie to you, at first it was your looks."

I couldn't hold back the eye roll this time.

"Wow, that means so much."

His eyes gave me a once over as if he could see through the blanket I was under. "Curvy in all the right ways," His gaze returned to my face, "those big blue eyes, and thick lips. Plus I've always had a thing for blondes."

I should be pissed, or at least annoyed. Instead, I was almost flattered by his words, which was probably stupid of me.

"You know Sage and I are twins, right? We look almost the same."

Wes shrugged, freeing a couple more strands of brown hair, and said, "I guess I've never noticed."

Yeah, cause that was believable.

"You said at first. So what changed?"

He propped himself up on his arm and moved the hair out of his face, "You turned me down, never had that happen before."

"So you like the chase?"

His smile grew wide, "I love the chase."

My throat tightened, "So that's it then?"

His smile tempered down just a little and he shook his head. "No." He laid on his back, surprising considering Declan's legs were right behind him, eye's locked on the ceiling. Guess that's all he had to say. But then his head tilted to the side to look back at me as he said, "When we were by the fence you talked about feeling a fire inside you. One you didn't think you could control. I've felt like that my whole life. But it was the first time someone ever told me they felt the same way. I never had anyone know what it feels like to struggle with shit like this."

Made sense to me. Knowing someone who felt like you did or was going through some of the same crap as you could make you feel connected to them. God knows I felt connected to Wes. Even if we did only know each other for a couple days. Doesn't mean I was going to end the chase though, at least not yet.

"I get what you're saying but I'm sure everyone in this room feels that same fire."

Wes' eyes got intense, but his voice got softer, "Yeah but you're not tainted by it, not like I am. You're still good."

"What if I don't want to be good anymore?"

He didn't laugh, he didn't shrug, he just looked at me with complete understanding.

"Well I guess you could balance me and I could balance you."

I liked the sound of that. I laid on my back, no longer able to keep my eyes open.

"Night, Wes."

I fell asleep hearing the sound of a smile in his voice, "Night, Chloe."