As Cold As Ice by Mandy Rosko Page B

for Paranormal Containment and Study, hoping to
lead somewhat normal lives, like the people in the poorly written
sitcom that played over and over in the building.
    No one in her group knew
why Jessica was taking the test a second time. If they knew she was
a paranormal, then it was too much information floating around with
too many people. Better for them to know nothing about who she was
when it came time for her to escape with the other prisoners they were planning on
letting go.
    It was pretty much the same that time
around. A paranormal was brought out, someone who had the power to
turn their body into very strong harsh stone. The rock that became
his skin was so tough and sharp in some places, especially around
the joints, that one of the recruits cut themselves pretty badly
trying to contain the man.
    “ Arrest him!” shouted one
recruit, pointing a long finger, fire and vengeance in his eyes as
his friend was carted away.
    None of the guards standing around moved,
though. The gargoyle looked worried as he shifted, stone becoming
skin again, but Soren was calm as he stared at the recruit.
“Why?”
    The angry recruit sputtered, like he wasn’t
sure what the question was even for. “What do you mean, why? That
paranormal cut up my cousin! Fucking arrest him!”
    “ Leonard is a member of our
staff, and not someone you will harass because your cousin was too
damned slow to make the cut,” Soren said.
    Jessica almost couldn’t believe her ears at
the rare show of insolence out of him. It was out of character and
shockingly alpha-like.
    She liked it. It was sexy.
    The angry recruit turned bright red, right
before he smiled and stepped back in line. There was one like him
in every group, Jessica was told. There had been a snobby, precious
jerk in the group Jessica and Ethan had been in when they got their
license. Someone who didn’t like to be wrong, who hated not getting
his way and was going to try and stir up shit whenever no one was
looking.
    Perfect. She could already plan out how this
was going to happen in her head. Murphy’s Law stated that this
asshole had to be involved in some dick-ish plot in the future that
would try to fuck her over.
    Not happy. She wasn’t at all happy with
that.
    One by one, the recruits went on to try and
catch the gargoyle, including the angry recruit from before.
    He actually managed to catch him. Using
brute strength, he got up behind the paranormal and stuck his hands
under the man’s neck, trying to choke him.
    When that didn’t work, he grabbed for the
gargoyles eyes, which did.
    The gargoyle arched back. The recruit didn’t
get the chance to really sink his fingers in, which was a good
thing. However, in the thrashing and yelling and churning of their
bodies, he did get a shackle on his wrists just as the wings on the
gargoyle’s back unfolded and launched outwards, throwing the
asshole recruit off.
    It was too late, though. The shackle was
already doing its job, and the stone of the gargoyle’s skin started
to crumble away into nothingness. He had to quickly fold his wings
back into his body before they could fall off and shatter on the
floor like dry clay, too.
    The asshole recruit hooted and cheered,
puffing his chest out and peacocking in front of the other
recruits, who clapped and cheered for him, like the paranomal’s
bleeding eyes were the bees’ knees.
    It had pretty much been exactly like this
when Ethan and Jessica signed up to get their hunting licenses.
    If these guys all wanted to see a show, then
they should’ve just headed down to one of the paranormal carnivals.
It irritated Jessica that these men thought they were professionals
in anything.
    They probably couldn’t even professionally
mow a lawn, the jackasses.
    Soren checked on the gargoyle paranormal,
taking out a pocket light and shining it into the man’s eyes.
Thankfully, it seemed that any blood was coming from the skin
around his eyes, and Jessica still couldn’t figure out how