I raised my eyebrows and looked toward Drew. He shrugged. No one knew about Star. As far as they knew, I was single. He was wearing a shirt and tie as well, but had decided against the full suit jacket. He filled out his shirt far better than I did. "Not my idea, dude," he said. "Just roll with it."

  "Seriously," Jess said. She leaned against the wall next to Max. Her dress was looser and longer than Lisa's, while Max wore a suit jacket even looser than mine. "I hate dressing up for this sort of shit. It's just a dinner."

  "It's a formal dinner," Lisa pointed out. "It's going to have a lot of people there from a bunch of schools around here. Andreas and I planned this out. Be glad we got tickets. It's a great way to meet people! That's for you, Kev!"

  I sighed and shook my head. "Like I said, I can't believe you talked me into this."

  There was a knock at our door and Andreas walked in with Kaitlyn just a step behind him. He wore a vest with a pocket watch chain hanging in a neat arc, while Kaitlyn wore a tiny white dress that left next to nothing to the imagination. She made eye contact with me and frowned slightly before looking away. I still hadn't had a chance to talk to her. Andreas smiled at everyone. "It seems we are all ready to leave."

  "Let's get going!" Lisa said. "So, I'm driving me and Drew. Everyone else in Andreas's van, right?"

  "Yes," Andreas said. "Unless you changed your mind, Max."

  "No, I plan on drinking excessively," he said. "Kev, you're all right with this, right?"

  "Kev and I already volunteered to be the designated drivers," Lisa said, grabbing my arm. "Right?"

  "Right," I said.

  "Responsibility is attractive!" she declared. "Let's go!"

  We headed out to the parking lot in a group. Lisa stayed by my side until we reached her car. "Are you sure you don't want to ride with me? Drew won't mind," she said quietly. "I don't want you to feel lonely."

  "Thanks," I said, and I meant it. "But I don't mind going with the big group."

  "All right." She raised her voice and called Drew over.

  I walked to the van, which was still as ugly and disreputable as the last time I'd seen it. Andreas nodded to me as Kaitlyn stepped into the passenger seat, holding her dress down with one hand. "Anything I should know?" I asked as he closed the door for her.

  "It is not nimble," he said. "Nothing else of note."

  "Why did you buy a van?" I asked.

  "It is the most effective way to transport equipment in bulk," he said. "In the future, I will retrofit it as a mobile lab. I have already begun planning for that day."

  "Mad scientist," Max grumbled as he climbed into the back.

  "Viking," Jess added as she followed.

  I smiled as Andreas rolled his eyes. "You want me to drive down?"

  "That will not be necessary," he said. "I will give you the keys when we arrive."

  Jess and Max were in the back seat, so I took the middle seat for myself. We set out on our adventure and Lisa followed. Naturally, separate conversations sprung up in the front and back of the van, neither of which included me. I stared out the window and made sure to remember the route we were taking. Star hadn't liked the idea of me going out to a formal event without her. "I haven't even gotten to see you dressed up yet!" had been her main protest. "Take pictures," followed right after.

  I hadn't wanted to go, but Lisa had guilted me into it. I knew I'd end up by myself all evening. For all of her promises to wing for me, I knew she'd just end up orbiting Drew. Still, it was nice to have something to do. The first couple of weeks of the trimester had passed without even a whisper from Absynthe or Burke. I didn't bother trying to get a hold of them. Lying low seemed like the best thing to do.

  We finally parked at a small banquet hall and poured out of the cars. Andreas handed me his keys and we proceeded inside to find dozens of people already mingling. He handed out our tickets, which were all marked as being over twenty-one, which earned each of us a wristband and a free drink coupon. I turned mine down. "Should have passed it on to a girl," Lisa whispered to me.

  "I don't think they'd let me," I whispered back.

  "Still," I said. "I just got here, it's not like there are any girls here I'd want to pass it to."

  "What about that gorgeous redhead at the bar?"

  "That's Jess."

  "Your point being?"

  I rolled my eyes and walked away. The tables seated ten and had our names set out already. A couple of swaps and I found myself with Lisa on my left and an empty chair on my right. Three other names were set out, but none of them had been touched yet. We took our seats and I listened to the chatter around us. Nothing caught my interest. The number of attendees continued to rise. We made our dinner selections, ordered drinks, and I watched people walk back and forth from the bar. There were plenty of girls around, dressed up and almost universally gorgeous. Lisa would occasionally lean over and point one out to me. I tried to play them all off.

  Our tablemates never showed up. I ate in mechanical silence. My friends drank. The conversations around me got louder and louder, fueled by alcohol and driven by the sociable types. One by one, my friends stood and left the table. Max left for drinks and Jess joined him. Andreas spotted a colleague from another school and went to network. Kaitlyn started to dance. Drew and Lisa joined her. None of them even glanced back at me.

  I looked at a half-finished cocktail on the table and slammed it down before I could talk myself out of it. Half a drink wouldn't hurt and I could always burn the alcohol out of my system before we left. A little bit of numbness would help. I wanted to walk out and go home and call Star, but the weight of the keys in my pocket anchored me in place. I pushed the empty glass toward the center of the table and leaned back in my chair. The night had barely begun and I was already done.

  "You should totally talk to that one!" I flinched as Lisa appeared at my side. She pointed out a tall blonde at the bar. "She's been looking at you!"

  "Probably wondering why I'm sitting here by myself," I said.

  "So if she comes over and asks you, what are you going to say?"

  "Not much."

  Lisa prodded my shoulder. "You're not even trying."

  I felt my temper rise and forced it back down. "Sorry I'm not meeting your expectations." I stood up and my chair rattled. She started to say something, but I turned my back on her and headed for one of the side doors. The patio wasn't crowded and I was able to find a place to lean and look out over the city. The chill of September air started to cool my temper down and I sighed. Lisa didn't deserve that.

  "I'm sorry." She had followed me out.

  "No, I'm sorry," I said. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

  "Talk to me?"

  I looked back out over the city. "I didn't tell anyone about the girl I met in Seattle."

  "You met someone? No way! Oh my god, no wonder you're not into this!" She grabbed my shoulder and shook me. "Kev, you have to tell me about these things! I feel like such an ass now! What's her name? What's she like?"

  "Her name's Sarah," I said. Over the next few minutes, I spun a whole story about what she did and how we met. The more I said, the worse I felt. I wanted her to be here with me. Lisa was trying her best to listen and support me, but I knew that she'd just go back to Drew in the end and I'd be alone again. I needed to pick up a new burner phone, or sneak the old one in to charge it.

  I ran out of words and sighed. "I know it's hard to be separated from the one you want to be with," Lisa said. "I was alone before Drew and I got together. I never really dated in high school. My parents discouraged it. I'm glad you have someone you're into, though."

  "It's hard to be so far away from her," I said.

  "At least you're not pining over that bitch," she said. "I'd have to hurt you if you were. I didn't think she was all that bad until you know, that happened. Still can't believe she tried to hit me! I could have taken her though."

  "I'm sure."

  "I'm vicious, you know. Just ask Drew."

  "I remember. I'm not arguing the point."

  She laughed. "So, if this Sarah ever comes out here to visit, we'll get to meet her, right?"

  "Absolutely," I said. "She'd love that."

  "Good. Hey, I'm going back to make sure Drew isn't overdoing it. He's already had a few and I'm worried. You going to stay out here? If you stay too long, I'll send Jess after you."

  "I'll be in soon," I said. "No need to make threats."

  She stood on her toes and kissed my cheek. "Your girl is lucky," she said. "I hope she appreciates you more than Nikki did. I know that's a low bar, but you deserve someone who cares about you."

  I smiled as she walked away. If anyone could make people feel better, Lisa could. I turned back to the city and let Star drift from my mind. I needed to have some fun tonight and stop dragging my friends down. I turned to walk back inside, but a sudden flash from the streets outside caught my eye. I turned back and saw that a few street lights had gone out. I shivered. They all turned back on after a moment, one of them spitting a few sparks in the process. I closed my eyes and reached out with my mind. There was no trace of psionic power in that direction.

  It was probably just a momentary power outage. I let go of my worries and headed back inside. Over the next couple of hours, I joined each of my friends. Max, Jess, and I discussed politics. Andreas introduced me to a series of engineering students he planned to work with in the future. I helped Drew stagger to the bathroom. I danced with Lisa. Kaitlyn avoided me and I still wasn't sure what was going on, but at least we were civil.

  By the time the event ended, I almost felt like my old self again. We headed out to the parking lot, Max and I walking on each side of Drew, making sure he kept upright. Everyone was comfortably tipsy except Lisa and me, but Drew had overindulged. "You're good, right?" I asked Lisa.

  "Sure am. You?"

  "Yup." We both looked at Drew as he leaned on Lisa's car. He had his head down and odd noises were coming from his direction. "He's not puking on your car, is he?"

  "No, if he was, I'd have to murder him," she said. "Drew, sweetheart, are you going to be sick?"

  "Yeah."

  She looked back to me. "I'm not driving him, then. The van's got room, right?"

  "Easily. Andreas will probably be upset if he pukes in there, though."

  "Either way, Drew will be cleaning a car," she said. "But I'm much more dangerous to piss off. Right, sweetheart?"

  "Yeah. Whatever."

  I looked to Andreas. He swayed gently in the evening breeze and showed no signs of hearing our conversation. Kaitlyn was walking on one of the parking lot lines and doing a surprisingly good job at staying straight, considering how much she had drank, and how high her heels were. Both were useless in this situation. Max and Jess returned my gaze when I looked to them. "You're volunteering to help take care of the drunks," I said.

  Jess glanced at Max. "Shotgun."

  "Fuck! No way!"

  "I'm not dealing with puke," she said.

  "I'm wearing a suit jacket!"

  "So take it off."

  Max groaned. "This isn't the way I wanted this evening to end. Kev, you know we're going to be listening to him puke all night, right?"

  "We'll make him sleep in the shower."

  Together, we encouraged Drew into the back seat. Andreas had thought ahead and put a bucket in the back of the van. Max took custody of it and sat next to Drew. Andreas got into the middle seat and almost immediately fell asleep. Kaitlyn stumbled her way over and took her heels off before climbing in. She cuddled up to Andreas and mumbled something under her breath. I made sure everyone was buckled in before heading around to the driver's side.

  Lisa was waiting for me beside the door, shifting her weight back and forth. "He going to be all right?" she asked.

  "He'll be suffering tomorrow," I said.

  "Sure will. His hangovers are legendary. You know the way back?"

  "Not really. I'll follow you?"

  "Sounds good. See you there!" She headed for her car.

  I hopped into the van. Jess jumped in next to me, arranged her dress, and we both buckled our seatbelts at the same moment. I looked over at her and for just a moment, I could have sworn it was Star. I shook my head and she sneered at me. "What are you looking at?"

  "No comment."

  "You're weird."

  "I know."

  "Why were you looking at me like that?" She looked over her shoulder to the back of the van. "Seriously."

  "You reminded me of someone."

  Her eyes tracked back to me and her sneer turned into a sly smile. "Someone you had a one night stand with?"

  "Something like that."

  "Now that's weird, Kev."

  "You're telling me."

  Before she could continue, Lisa backed out of her parking spot. I turned the van on and followed suit. We made it a block away before stopping at a red light. I noticed another set of streetlights flicker down the street to our left. This time, they stayed off. I frowned and looked in that direction. There was something moving in the distance, I was sure, but couldn't make it out. The street seemed far darker than it should have, even with the lights out.

  "Kevin!" A telepathic message slammed into my mind with the force of a heavy blow. I closed my eyes as Absynthe's presence hit me. "Kevin, this is an emergency. Where are you?"

  "On my way back to campus from a formal," I replied, keeping my eyes closed so Jess wouldn't see the glow.

  "What's going on?"

  "Shade's gone."

  "What?"

  "He's gone. Woke up and left. No idea how long ago. One witness, they said he asked where you were. Demanded to know." Her tone was furious. "What happened? Why is he looking for you?"

  "He's coming for me?" Cold sweat slid down my sides and my throat closed up.

  "What happened, Kevin?"

  "Why isn't she moving?" I heard Jess talking to my right. "The light turned green already. She needs to get off her phone."

  "Just answer me, Absynthe!"

  "Yes, he's looking for you, now answer me, dammit!"

  "Wake up, Lisa! Oh, there she goes."

  Psionic power surged from the street to the left. I froze as a torrent of power flashed to life and blew down the street. Streetlights blew out in a series of green sparks as the psionic darkness to our left lifted. A blur of silver roared down the street and I stood on the brakes.

  The van wasn't the target.

  The silver car flashed into the intersection and hit Lisa's car directly on the driver's side door. Metal tore and crumpled. Glass shattered. The impact pushed her car at an angle, driving it directly into a streetlight, throwing more sparks into the still night air. Lights turned on up and down the street. There was silence. There was stillness.

  I looked to Jess, hoping against hope that I was seeing things. "Oh my god," she whispered.

  Chapter Twenty

  Steam rose from the crash site in a white cloud. I grabbed at my seatbelt, tried to throw the van into park, tried to pull the key out of the ignition, and tried to get out all at the same time. Next to me, Jess whispered something I couldn't quite make out. I finally hauled the seatbelt off and twisted in my seat. "Max! Call 911 now!"

  "On it," he said. Andreas and Kaitlyn were awake in the middle seat, but neither of them seemed completely with it. I didn't look further back. I couldn't. "Where are we? What's the cross streets?"

  "Get out and look!" I snapped. "Andreas! Kait! Keep Drew in the van!"

  "What-"

  Andreas acted. Once Max slid out from the rear seat, the lanky Norwegian jumped to the back and grabbed Drew's shoulder. Kaitlyn spun and blocked his view of the windshield with her body. "What's going on? What happened? What was that noise?"

  He knew. "Jess, help them if you can," I said.

  She pushed her door open and puked. No help was coming there. I jumped out of the van and sprinted around to the other side where Max was standing. He had his phone to his ear, but lowered it as I approached him. "Help them keep Drew under control," I said. He nodded. "I'm going to check and see if there's anything I can do."

  Sirens were already wailing in the distance. Help was on the way. I repeated that to myself as I approached the wreck. Steam and smoke wafted toward me and I covered my nose and mouth with one hand, waving away what I could with the other. Her car had been cleanly t-boned. The driver's side bent inwards. I swallowed hard and took another step closer, trying to avoid the glass and shards all over the intersection.

  Movement caught my eye and I turned toward the silver coupe. My stomach heaved and I closed my eyes for a moment to get it under control. The driver of the other car had come through the windshield, but something had caught him and held his lower half. Partial ejection. No seatbelt. Lacerations crisscrossed his face. Blood rolled across the hood and dripped to the ground. One arm was outstretched and blood flowed down his fingers.

  His eyes opened, shockingly white in the midst of the bloody ruin of his face. I stepped closer. Something had sliced across his torso and more blood seeped into the seat cushions. His outstretched hand twitched and his eyes seemed to focus on me. I took another step and leaned toward him as his lips twitched.

  "Don't die," I whispered. "Don't talk, don't die. Help's coming, man. Just hold on."

  "Hurt," he whispered back to me. "He says...suffer. Die."

  I staggered back and nearly fell. The man coughed and more blood trickled from his lips. Anything else he was going to say was lost in a wet cough that sprayed across the hood of his car. There was no way he could survive this. Someone had aimed him like a weapon. I stumbled back another step as the sharp metallic scent of his blood mixed with the steam and gasoline and other car fluids. Overwhelmed, I had to turn away and retch. I tried to tap into my psionic powers and settle my stomach, but my power flowed away from my reach, seemingly as disgusted by the scene as I was.

  I could hear shouting from the van and saw it rocking side to side. Max was nowhere in sight. I hoped he had gotten back in. It sounded like Drew was out of control. Once my stomach settled, I turned back to the crash. The other car had recoiled back a couple of feet from Lisa's car after impact. I made my way toward her driver's side door. The door bent inwards, the windows were all shattered, and steam puffed from her hood. As I got closer, I could see her sitting in the seat with her eyes closed. Her seatbelt had kept her in place and her airbags had deployed, for whatever good they'd do in that sort of crash. I wasn't an expert. She looked less injured than I expected, aside from the cuts from flying glass. I lifted my hand, shaking, and touched her neck. She had a pulse. I let out a sigh of relief and peered further into the car.

 

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