Seconds Before Sunrise (The Timely Death Trilogy), page 20
“I was wrong about you, Jess,” he said, walking past me. “You are capable.”
I watched his back, contemplating my own verbal assault until he disappeared into Robb’s car. They backed out, and Zac waved before I rushed to my car. I threw Eric’s present in the backseat and got behind the wheel, slamming the door behind me.
“Dump him,” I said.
Crystal looked like she would cry. “I’m sorry. I wanted to talk to you first, but—”
“You didn’t hear me, did you?” I turned my torso to glare at her. “I don’t care about you coming over with Robb. Just dump Zac.”
She was pale. “I—I can’t. I like him.”
“He’s an asshole,” I said, telling her what he said as he left.
Her lip quivered like she couldn’t fathom it. “He’s sweet to me,” she justified. “He’s probably still hurt from prom.”
“That’s not an excuse,” I said, and Crystal was quiet. “You can do better, and you know it.”
“I’m not like you, Jess,” she said, and I reached across the car to shake her shoulders. When I stopped, her eyes were wide.
“You’re smart, capable, and pretty,” I argued. “You don’t need them.”
“But you forgave Robb,” she said. “Doesn’t that mean something?”
I couldn’t tell her I only forgave him to get them to leave. I had someone after me, and Zac seemed to know about it. I didn’t want to think about how close I came to meeting whoever was after me. “I guess,” I surrendered, knowing I needed to keep myself safe before I dealt with my personal life.
I started the engine and backed out of the driveway, trying not to dwell on my emotions. I didn’t have time for that.
“Are we dropping off Eric’s present?” Crystal asked, knowing what was inside.
“No,” I said, unsure of how close I could get to him without risking everything. “We’re going Christmas shopping, and you’re sleeping over.”
Eric
“Happy birthday,” Mindy cheered as I lifted new headphones out of the box she had wrapped them in. “I hope you like them.”
“They’re great.” I attempted to look excited. “Thank you.”
“He’ll use them so much he’ll need a new pair next year,” George joked.
Jonathon tried to grab the glass from his father’s hand. “You’ve had too much to drink,” he said, but George pulled away.
“Nonsense.” The beer sloshed around. “It’s Eric’s birthday. We’re here to celebrate.”
Or get so drunk that we can’t remember the prophetic battle, Jonathon ranted to me.
He’ll be fine, I said, hoping to calm my friend, but we both knew it was a lie. How George would fight drunk was beyond me, but he also had hours until it happened. The sun wouldn’t set for a while.
“My present − on the table,” George slurred.
“Thanks, George,” I said, moving upstairs. Teresa and Jonathon followed me. We sat at the kitchen table, overlooking the living room, and Noah bounced around us.
“What is it?” he asked.
Mindy waved her son away. “Let them talk, Noah,” she said, and he obeyed her without a pout. He was continuing to mature, and I wanted to reward him for it.
“Here,” I said, handing it to my stepbrother. “You open it.”
He grabbed it. “Really?”
“Why not?”
His grin looked like it could break his face in half, and he tore the gift open. “It’s a gift card.” He sounded disappointed.
“I thought putting it in a big box would be funny,” George laughed to himself, turning to my silent father. “What did you get him, Jim?”
“He already gave me a present,” I answered for him. Everyone had curious stares but my father. His old, brown eyes lit up, and we nodded to each other, knowing the black box my mother left me was possibly the most important gift I would ever receive. But I didn’t want to talk about it.
“I got you another present,” my father said, resting against the wall. I wondered if he had drank as much as George. “I just haven’t picked it up yet.”
My brow rose. “Another one?” You didn’t need to do that.
Yes, I did, he responded telepathically first. “I’m giving it to you after your birthday,” he explained. “I want to make sure you can survive the responsibility of being eighteen before I give it to you.”
Everyone laughed like it was a joke, even though mostly everyone knew it wasn’t.
I laid my hands in my lap and stared at the table as the adults started their own conversation. Noah ran to his bedroom, and I knew no one would hear us.
Teresa laid a hand on my shoulder. “It’s still your birthday,” she said. “Try to enjoy what you can. We don’t even know if it’ll happen tonight.”
“It’s my birthday,” I grumbled. “It’s happening tonight.”
“If it were that simple, the Light would be knocking on your front door,” she argued.
“But they want a war,” Jonathon said. “And it’s obviously for their advantage.”
“They want to wait.” Teresa suddenly took our side. “But I don’t see why.”
“Me neither.” I knew the Light had said they wanted to take out as many people with them as possible, but the theory relied solely on their downfall. A war was their surrender, but they weren’t acting as if they were giving up. They were still after Jessica and me.
“It didn’t work,” I said, informing Camille of the situation with Jessica.
“What do you mean it didn’t work?”
“I don’t think I have to explain it more than I already have,” I said. “She doesn’t remember, and she doesn’t want to.”
Teresa’s glance shifted between Jonathon and me. “But she needs to defend herself.”
“It’s too late, Camille.” It was useless to hide her Dark name on the day of the battle.
“No,” she said, standing up. “It’s not.”
I grabbed her arm as she attempted to rush away. “What are you thinking?” I hissed, knowing my father was watching.
I can do everything Luthicer can, she entered my mind, and my stomach twisted. She didn’t care if my father could sense it. She was going to force the spell off.
You could hurt her, I said, refusing to let go of my guard.
She laid her hand on mine and slowly pulled my fingers off of her wrist. “And you need to trust me,” she said before turning around and walking down the steps.
I followed her, brushing past my family. “I’m walking Teresa out.”
“Me, too,” Jonathon joined.
We had the front door open before anyone could question us, and we had frozen in the doorway before we realized what was in front of us.
A young girl stood on the driveway. Her hair was as white as the recent snowfall, and her eyes were pools of ink, yet she somehow stared at us. She was a light.
I slammed the door behind me, and Jonathon put up a silence barrier, but we couldn’t transform. Not until sunset. And we were hours away. Teresa was the only one capable of protecting my family, and she was Camille before I could order her to transform.
In a second, my guard’s hands were wrapped around the girl’s hair, and the light’s face was shoved into the ground. If I hadn’t grabbed Camille’s arm, she would’ve broken her neck.
“I’m on your side,” the girl screamed, but Camille didn’t let go of the girl’s hair. Their resemblance made them look like sisters. “Shoman, I swear—”
Camille stepped on her face. She didn’t need a weapon to silence the child.
“Let her speak,” I ordered my guard, but Camille refused to look away from the enemy.
“She’s an intruder,” Camille said, but she didn’t kill her. “You can’t trust anything she says.”
“I’ll decide that,” I said, and Camille’s foot moved to the girl’s back. She wasn’t letting her get up.
The light whimpered, and I knelt down to meet her eyes. “You’re safe,” I said, knowing my words were debatable.
“Thank you, Shoman,” the girl squeaked, and I tensed, knowing my identity was gone. She tried to push herself up, but I grabbed her shoulder.
“I don’t control her,” I said, pointing to my guard. “Stay on the ground.”
The child’s eyes were filled with tears. “Promise me a life, and I’ll guarantee your survival at the battle.”
“He’s destined to win,” Camille said, grinding her foot into the girl’s back. “He doesn’t have to promise you anything.”
“I promise,” I said, ignoring my guard.
The girl wriggled. “Let me up.”
She’s asking for too much, Camille said, but I glared at her, and she moved off of the light.
The girl squirmed to her knees before she made it to her feet. “I’m not like them, the other lights,” she began.
Camille interrupted her. “So, stop babbling and tell us why you’re here.”
The girl shivered, stepping away from my guard. “Stop protecting the third descendant,” she said. “Can’t you see that’s what the Light wants?”
I couldn’t breathe.
“What are you saying, light?” Jonathon was in-between us, and the girl was panicking.
“Darthon can’t survive without the third descendant,” she said. “All your protection does is give them a chance at winning,” she ranted. “If she dies, he dies. It’s that simple—”
Jonathon stopped her. “We won’t kill the third descendant.”
The girl turned her face and focused on me. Her cheeks were pale. “You’re actually in love with her?”
It was the last thing she would ever say.
A light blew out of her eyes, and her mouth hung open, releasing a gasp. Her ribs folded in on one another, a cracking sound splitting the air, and she crumbled to the driveway. She was a human, and she was dead.
Jonathon stumbled back, falling into me, and I grabbed him, unable to look away from Camille. Her fingertips were shaking, and her hair was spiked up, hinting at her powers. She had killed her, and she did it without touching the girl. I was reminded of what Luthicer said about half-breeds struggling with their conscience. For the first time, Camille didn’t seem to have one.
“There are other ways to kill lights,” she mumbled, falling back into her human form with ease. It was enough to know she had killed before. “You didn’t need to listen to that.”
The girl’s warning was echoing inside of me. “Jessica’s safe,” I said, knowing Darthon wouldn’t kill her. “She’s been safe this entire time.”
“Then, why would she warn us?” Teresa spat. “It’s probably the opposite, Eric, and that girl was trying to convince you to kill someone to guarantee their survival.”
“I would never kill Jessica.”
“She obviously didn’t think it through,” Teresa said. “But Darthon will if it means you’ll die along with her.”
Teresa was convinced it was the opposite, that I would die instead of Darthon, but the look in the girl’s eyes had been too convincing. I’d even promised her life, and it didn’t happen.
“If they know who you are, they are going after her right now,” Teresa continued. “She needs to be able to defend herself.”
“You can’t go to her now,” Jonathon said.
“And why not?”
“Because she’s with Crystal—”
“You’re Jessica’s guard, and as a guard, your duty is to protect her first,” Camille said. “Not her human friend.”
Jonathon didn’t have an argument.
“Where is she right now?”
Jonathon grabbed Camille’s hand, and a light flickered between them. Teresa’s blue eyes were black pits for only a millisecond, and I knew Jonathon had transferred his tracking. “You should know now,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said, turning to me. “You need to prepare yourself. This is about to get ugly.” She transported away as the front door opened, and a golden light spread over the girl’s body.
The door shut. “What happened here?” my father asked, rushing forward, and Jonathon divulged everything with impressive speed.
“What do we do?” Jonathon asked, and my father picked up the girl’s body.
“I’ll take care of this,” he said it like he had picked up the trash. “You two go with George to the shelter until sunset.” The directions sounded far away. “There’s a war waiting for us.”
Jessica
Crystal had slept over, and I promised her a coffee for staying. We were sitting in the coffee shop, only silent because her obsession with pumpkin flavoring kept her lips on her mug. I didn’t mind if it meant avoiding the topic of Robb and Zac. She had already apologized too many times for me to handle.
“Are you seeing him today?” Crystal asked, breaking away from her drink.
I was barely listening. “Who?”
“Eric,” she said, sipping once more. “It’s his birthday, remember?”
I knew it was, but I wasn’t sure if I could get close to him. The more time that passed since his visit, the more I believed I couldn’t help him. “I’m not seeing him.”
She pouted. “Why not?”
“He’s busy.” I acted as if I had spoken to him. I wanted to avoid talking about Eric as much I wanted to avoid talking about the other boys.
“Seems everyone is busy today,” she said, glancing around the shop. For a weekend, it was unusually empty. We were the only customers, and Crystal had no problem pointing directly at the owner. “I think he’s closing up early.”
I glanced over my shoulder and watched him as he cleaned up. “Sorry, girls,” he said, shrugging one shoulder. “I’m closing in fifteen.”
I groaned, turning back to Crystal. “Looks like it.”
She wasn’t nearly as upset as I was. In fact, her eyes lit up with curiosity. “Is something going on?” she asked the owner, but he didn’t respond. She lowered her head and whispered, “I wonder what’s gotten into everyone. All of the hotels in town are booked. Even Zac and Robb are busy.”
She mentioned everything I didn’t want to think about, and my stomach twisted with nausea. Whatever was going on had to do with Eric’s visit, and I hated to dwell on something I couldn’t fix. I wanted to talk to Crystal more than ever, but I bit my lip to stay silent.
“I am sorry—” she started, but I stopped her before we could repeat the same conversation again.
“It’s fine.”
“But it doesn’t feel fine,” she whined. “And I don’t want to go home feeling like that.”
A panic rose in my chest. “When are you going home?”
“My mom is coming to pick me up.”
I sighed, laying my head on my hands. I couldn’t be mad even though I wanted to be. She couldn’t stay with me forever, and I would be alone before I knew it. “Can your mom pick you up at my house?”
“She’s already on her way.”
Of course she was.
“I texted her when I saw he was closing,” she said. Her mom would be here within minutes.
“It’s okay.”
“Listen, Jess,” Crystal said, touching my arm. “If something’s going on, you can tell me.”
But I couldn’t. Not without looking crazy. Even if I could tell her, I doubted I would. It was hard to trust her since she was dating Zac. I could only hope she would take my advice and get rid of him.
“Nothing’s going on,” I said, and she accepted it without an argument.
Her phone buzzed on the table, signaling the end of our conversation. “Lola’s here,” she said, standing up. “I’ll see you later?”
“Sure,” I managed.
She left, and the soft music seemed louder than before. It stopped, and I turned my chair around to face the owner. “Mind if I stay for a minute?”
“Only ten more,” he said, continuing to clean. “I have to be somewhere.”
“Thanks,” I said, watching the clock as time inched forward and wondering if I would have to face whoever was after me the second I left alone.
Eric
Footsteps echoed off of the underground walls of the shelter, but no one spoke. Shades rushed around, avoiding eye contact, and suited up, dressing in lavish garbs as if they were going to a fancy party instead of a death match.
Boys and girls wore thick, leather pants, and they braided their long hair down their backs. The youngest fighters had taken the opportunity to paint their faces with the colors of their powers, with emerald-greens, midnight-blues, and moonlight-silvers. I yearned to see the royal purple Jessica’s powers had, but she was the only one I knew of, and she wasn’t here.
“Put these on,” Urte − the previously drunk George − spoke without a slur to his tone, and he threw us heavy clothes without swaying. “We’ll leave soon.”
“You sobered up quickly,” Pierce muttered, throwing on the bigger jacket.
“Alcohol doesn’t affect my shade self,” his father said without explaining if it was exclusive to him.
Pierce got dressed instead of asking. “These are surprisingly comfortable,” he said, squaring his shoulders as he shook his arms out. The sleeves fit him perfectly.
I sulked into mine. “I don’t see why these are necessary,” I said, even though I did. It was added protection, but I didn’t want to admit that I needed it. Not when the battle was close enough to taste in the air.
“You’ll be fine,” Pierce said, jumping up and down. “Are you ready?” he asked, and I half-expected him to punch me in the arm like we were preparing for a sporting event.
I didn’t answer as Urte walked around the crowded room. Everyone was awaiting his orders, and everyone knew we had to obey them the second he spoke them. One man vomited in the corner while another pulled him to his feet. A woman, perhaps his sister or girlfriend, ignored his shameful nausea. I wanted to tell him it wasn’t, but the crowd stared at me.
I was their descendant, and my actions would dictate how long the war lasted. There would be death before daylight, but we didn’t have to wait for daylight to end it. The quicker I killed Darthon, the less of a massacre there would be. But I couldn’t afford to think about my people if I were going to stay focused, and they knew it as much as I despised it.
I watched his back, contemplating my own verbal assault until he disappeared into Robb’s car. They backed out, and Zac waved before I rushed to my car. I threw Eric’s present in the backseat and got behind the wheel, slamming the door behind me.
“Dump him,” I said.
Crystal looked like she would cry. “I’m sorry. I wanted to talk to you first, but—”
“You didn’t hear me, did you?” I turned my torso to glare at her. “I don’t care about you coming over with Robb. Just dump Zac.”
She was pale. “I—I can’t. I like him.”
“He’s an asshole,” I said, telling her what he said as he left.
Her lip quivered like she couldn’t fathom it. “He’s sweet to me,” she justified. “He’s probably still hurt from prom.”
“That’s not an excuse,” I said, and Crystal was quiet. “You can do better, and you know it.”
“I’m not like you, Jess,” she said, and I reached across the car to shake her shoulders. When I stopped, her eyes were wide.
“You’re smart, capable, and pretty,” I argued. “You don’t need them.”
“But you forgave Robb,” she said. “Doesn’t that mean something?”
I couldn’t tell her I only forgave him to get them to leave. I had someone after me, and Zac seemed to know about it. I didn’t want to think about how close I came to meeting whoever was after me. “I guess,” I surrendered, knowing I needed to keep myself safe before I dealt with my personal life.
I started the engine and backed out of the driveway, trying not to dwell on my emotions. I didn’t have time for that.
“Are we dropping off Eric’s present?” Crystal asked, knowing what was inside.
“No,” I said, unsure of how close I could get to him without risking everything. “We’re going Christmas shopping, and you’re sleeping over.”
Eric
“Happy birthday,” Mindy cheered as I lifted new headphones out of the box she had wrapped them in. “I hope you like them.”
“They’re great.” I attempted to look excited. “Thank you.”
“He’ll use them so much he’ll need a new pair next year,” George joked.
Jonathon tried to grab the glass from his father’s hand. “You’ve had too much to drink,” he said, but George pulled away.
“Nonsense.” The beer sloshed around. “It’s Eric’s birthday. We’re here to celebrate.”
Or get so drunk that we can’t remember the prophetic battle, Jonathon ranted to me.
He’ll be fine, I said, hoping to calm my friend, but we both knew it was a lie. How George would fight drunk was beyond me, but he also had hours until it happened. The sun wouldn’t set for a while.
“My present − on the table,” George slurred.
“Thanks, George,” I said, moving upstairs. Teresa and Jonathon followed me. We sat at the kitchen table, overlooking the living room, and Noah bounced around us.
“What is it?” he asked.
Mindy waved her son away. “Let them talk, Noah,” she said, and he obeyed her without a pout. He was continuing to mature, and I wanted to reward him for it.
“Here,” I said, handing it to my stepbrother. “You open it.”
He grabbed it. “Really?”
“Why not?”
His grin looked like it could break his face in half, and he tore the gift open. “It’s a gift card.” He sounded disappointed.
“I thought putting it in a big box would be funny,” George laughed to himself, turning to my silent father. “What did you get him, Jim?”
“He already gave me a present,” I answered for him. Everyone had curious stares but my father. His old, brown eyes lit up, and we nodded to each other, knowing the black box my mother left me was possibly the most important gift I would ever receive. But I didn’t want to talk about it.
“I got you another present,” my father said, resting against the wall. I wondered if he had drank as much as George. “I just haven’t picked it up yet.”
My brow rose. “Another one?” You didn’t need to do that.
Yes, I did, he responded telepathically first. “I’m giving it to you after your birthday,” he explained. “I want to make sure you can survive the responsibility of being eighteen before I give it to you.”
Everyone laughed like it was a joke, even though mostly everyone knew it wasn’t.
I laid my hands in my lap and stared at the table as the adults started their own conversation. Noah ran to his bedroom, and I knew no one would hear us.
Teresa laid a hand on my shoulder. “It’s still your birthday,” she said. “Try to enjoy what you can. We don’t even know if it’ll happen tonight.”
“It’s my birthday,” I grumbled. “It’s happening tonight.”
“If it were that simple, the Light would be knocking on your front door,” she argued.
“But they want a war,” Jonathon said. “And it’s obviously for their advantage.”
“They want to wait.” Teresa suddenly took our side. “But I don’t see why.”
“Me neither.” I knew the Light had said they wanted to take out as many people with them as possible, but the theory relied solely on their downfall. A war was their surrender, but they weren’t acting as if they were giving up. They were still after Jessica and me.
“It didn’t work,” I said, informing Camille of the situation with Jessica.
“What do you mean it didn’t work?”
“I don’t think I have to explain it more than I already have,” I said. “She doesn’t remember, and she doesn’t want to.”
Teresa’s glance shifted between Jonathon and me. “But she needs to defend herself.”
“It’s too late, Camille.” It was useless to hide her Dark name on the day of the battle.
“No,” she said, standing up. “It’s not.”
I grabbed her arm as she attempted to rush away. “What are you thinking?” I hissed, knowing my father was watching.
I can do everything Luthicer can, she entered my mind, and my stomach twisted. She didn’t care if my father could sense it. She was going to force the spell off.
You could hurt her, I said, refusing to let go of my guard.
She laid her hand on mine and slowly pulled my fingers off of her wrist. “And you need to trust me,” she said before turning around and walking down the steps.
I followed her, brushing past my family. “I’m walking Teresa out.”
“Me, too,” Jonathon joined.
We had the front door open before anyone could question us, and we had frozen in the doorway before we realized what was in front of us.
A young girl stood on the driveway. Her hair was as white as the recent snowfall, and her eyes were pools of ink, yet she somehow stared at us. She was a light.
I slammed the door behind me, and Jonathon put up a silence barrier, but we couldn’t transform. Not until sunset. And we were hours away. Teresa was the only one capable of protecting my family, and she was Camille before I could order her to transform.
In a second, my guard’s hands were wrapped around the girl’s hair, and the light’s face was shoved into the ground. If I hadn’t grabbed Camille’s arm, she would’ve broken her neck.
“I’m on your side,” the girl screamed, but Camille didn’t let go of the girl’s hair. Their resemblance made them look like sisters. “Shoman, I swear—”
Camille stepped on her face. She didn’t need a weapon to silence the child.
“Let her speak,” I ordered my guard, but Camille refused to look away from the enemy.
“She’s an intruder,” Camille said, but she didn’t kill her. “You can’t trust anything she says.”
“I’ll decide that,” I said, and Camille’s foot moved to the girl’s back. She wasn’t letting her get up.
The light whimpered, and I knelt down to meet her eyes. “You’re safe,” I said, knowing my words were debatable.
“Thank you, Shoman,” the girl squeaked, and I tensed, knowing my identity was gone. She tried to push herself up, but I grabbed her shoulder.
“I don’t control her,” I said, pointing to my guard. “Stay on the ground.”
The child’s eyes were filled with tears. “Promise me a life, and I’ll guarantee your survival at the battle.”
“He’s destined to win,” Camille said, grinding her foot into the girl’s back. “He doesn’t have to promise you anything.”
“I promise,” I said, ignoring my guard.
The girl wriggled. “Let me up.”
She’s asking for too much, Camille said, but I glared at her, and she moved off of the light.
The girl squirmed to her knees before she made it to her feet. “I’m not like them, the other lights,” she began.
Camille interrupted her. “So, stop babbling and tell us why you’re here.”
The girl shivered, stepping away from my guard. “Stop protecting the third descendant,” she said. “Can’t you see that’s what the Light wants?”
I couldn’t breathe.
“What are you saying, light?” Jonathon was in-between us, and the girl was panicking.
“Darthon can’t survive without the third descendant,” she said. “All your protection does is give them a chance at winning,” she ranted. “If she dies, he dies. It’s that simple—”
Jonathon stopped her. “We won’t kill the third descendant.”
The girl turned her face and focused on me. Her cheeks were pale. “You’re actually in love with her?”
It was the last thing she would ever say.
A light blew out of her eyes, and her mouth hung open, releasing a gasp. Her ribs folded in on one another, a cracking sound splitting the air, and she crumbled to the driveway. She was a human, and she was dead.
Jonathon stumbled back, falling into me, and I grabbed him, unable to look away from Camille. Her fingertips were shaking, and her hair was spiked up, hinting at her powers. She had killed her, and she did it without touching the girl. I was reminded of what Luthicer said about half-breeds struggling with their conscience. For the first time, Camille didn’t seem to have one.
“There are other ways to kill lights,” she mumbled, falling back into her human form with ease. It was enough to know she had killed before. “You didn’t need to listen to that.”
The girl’s warning was echoing inside of me. “Jessica’s safe,” I said, knowing Darthon wouldn’t kill her. “She’s been safe this entire time.”
“Then, why would she warn us?” Teresa spat. “It’s probably the opposite, Eric, and that girl was trying to convince you to kill someone to guarantee their survival.”
“I would never kill Jessica.”
“She obviously didn’t think it through,” Teresa said. “But Darthon will if it means you’ll die along with her.”
Teresa was convinced it was the opposite, that I would die instead of Darthon, but the look in the girl’s eyes had been too convincing. I’d even promised her life, and it didn’t happen.
“If they know who you are, they are going after her right now,” Teresa continued. “She needs to be able to defend herself.”
“You can’t go to her now,” Jonathon said.
“And why not?”
“Because she’s with Crystal—”
“You’re Jessica’s guard, and as a guard, your duty is to protect her first,” Camille said. “Not her human friend.”
Jonathon didn’t have an argument.
“Where is she right now?”
Jonathon grabbed Camille’s hand, and a light flickered between them. Teresa’s blue eyes were black pits for only a millisecond, and I knew Jonathon had transferred his tracking. “You should know now,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said, turning to me. “You need to prepare yourself. This is about to get ugly.” She transported away as the front door opened, and a golden light spread over the girl’s body.
The door shut. “What happened here?” my father asked, rushing forward, and Jonathon divulged everything with impressive speed.
“What do we do?” Jonathon asked, and my father picked up the girl’s body.
“I’ll take care of this,” he said it like he had picked up the trash. “You two go with George to the shelter until sunset.” The directions sounded far away. “There’s a war waiting for us.”
Jessica
Crystal had slept over, and I promised her a coffee for staying. We were sitting in the coffee shop, only silent because her obsession with pumpkin flavoring kept her lips on her mug. I didn’t mind if it meant avoiding the topic of Robb and Zac. She had already apologized too many times for me to handle.
“Are you seeing him today?” Crystal asked, breaking away from her drink.
I was barely listening. “Who?”
“Eric,” she said, sipping once more. “It’s his birthday, remember?”
I knew it was, but I wasn’t sure if I could get close to him. The more time that passed since his visit, the more I believed I couldn’t help him. “I’m not seeing him.”
She pouted. “Why not?”
“He’s busy.” I acted as if I had spoken to him. I wanted to avoid talking about Eric as much I wanted to avoid talking about the other boys.
“Seems everyone is busy today,” she said, glancing around the shop. For a weekend, it was unusually empty. We were the only customers, and Crystal had no problem pointing directly at the owner. “I think he’s closing up early.”
I glanced over my shoulder and watched him as he cleaned up. “Sorry, girls,” he said, shrugging one shoulder. “I’m closing in fifteen.”
I groaned, turning back to Crystal. “Looks like it.”
She wasn’t nearly as upset as I was. In fact, her eyes lit up with curiosity. “Is something going on?” she asked the owner, but he didn’t respond. She lowered her head and whispered, “I wonder what’s gotten into everyone. All of the hotels in town are booked. Even Zac and Robb are busy.”
She mentioned everything I didn’t want to think about, and my stomach twisted with nausea. Whatever was going on had to do with Eric’s visit, and I hated to dwell on something I couldn’t fix. I wanted to talk to Crystal more than ever, but I bit my lip to stay silent.
“I am sorry—” she started, but I stopped her before we could repeat the same conversation again.
“It’s fine.”
“But it doesn’t feel fine,” she whined. “And I don’t want to go home feeling like that.”
A panic rose in my chest. “When are you going home?”
“My mom is coming to pick me up.”
I sighed, laying my head on my hands. I couldn’t be mad even though I wanted to be. She couldn’t stay with me forever, and I would be alone before I knew it. “Can your mom pick you up at my house?”
“She’s already on her way.”
Of course she was.
“I texted her when I saw he was closing,” she said. Her mom would be here within minutes.
“It’s okay.”
“Listen, Jess,” Crystal said, touching my arm. “If something’s going on, you can tell me.”
But I couldn’t. Not without looking crazy. Even if I could tell her, I doubted I would. It was hard to trust her since she was dating Zac. I could only hope she would take my advice and get rid of him.
“Nothing’s going on,” I said, and she accepted it without an argument.
Her phone buzzed on the table, signaling the end of our conversation. “Lola’s here,” she said, standing up. “I’ll see you later?”
“Sure,” I managed.
She left, and the soft music seemed louder than before. It stopped, and I turned my chair around to face the owner. “Mind if I stay for a minute?”
“Only ten more,” he said, continuing to clean. “I have to be somewhere.”
“Thanks,” I said, watching the clock as time inched forward and wondering if I would have to face whoever was after me the second I left alone.
Eric
Footsteps echoed off of the underground walls of the shelter, but no one spoke. Shades rushed around, avoiding eye contact, and suited up, dressing in lavish garbs as if they were going to a fancy party instead of a death match.
Boys and girls wore thick, leather pants, and they braided their long hair down their backs. The youngest fighters had taken the opportunity to paint their faces with the colors of their powers, with emerald-greens, midnight-blues, and moonlight-silvers. I yearned to see the royal purple Jessica’s powers had, but she was the only one I knew of, and she wasn’t here.
“Put these on,” Urte − the previously drunk George − spoke without a slur to his tone, and he threw us heavy clothes without swaying. “We’ll leave soon.”
“You sobered up quickly,” Pierce muttered, throwing on the bigger jacket.
“Alcohol doesn’t affect my shade self,” his father said without explaining if it was exclusive to him.
Pierce got dressed instead of asking. “These are surprisingly comfortable,” he said, squaring his shoulders as he shook his arms out. The sleeves fit him perfectly.
I sulked into mine. “I don’t see why these are necessary,” I said, even though I did. It was added protection, but I didn’t want to admit that I needed it. Not when the battle was close enough to taste in the air.
“You’ll be fine,” Pierce said, jumping up and down. “Are you ready?” he asked, and I half-expected him to punch me in the arm like we were preparing for a sporting event.
I didn’t answer as Urte walked around the crowded room. Everyone was awaiting his orders, and everyone knew we had to obey them the second he spoke them. One man vomited in the corner while another pulled him to his feet. A woman, perhaps his sister or girlfriend, ignored his shameful nausea. I wanted to tell him it wasn’t, but the crowd stared at me.
I was their descendant, and my actions would dictate how long the war lasted. There would be death before daylight, but we didn’t have to wait for daylight to end it. The quicker I killed Darthon, the less of a massacre there would be. But I couldn’t afford to think about my people if I were going to stay focused, and they knew it as much as I despised it.
