by Sela Croft
“What do you see out there?” Lana said.
One of the boys shook his head. “He’s gone. There’s no sign of him.”
The loss struck me anew. Even having seen the morbid kidnapping, I’d been able to hope for Draven’s escape. Madly, I conceived that he’d evaded the creatures at the last minute and was alive on the beach below.
Hearing that Draven was gone, assaulted my senses. The sentiment was unwelcome; they had to be wrong. Yet I couldn’t ignore the fact that he’d been taken by monsters. Panic surged inside me. There was no time to waste. Something had to be done.
“Lana…” I pulled my friend aside, whispering because she was the only one I trusted. “Did you see what happened?”
“Oh, Mirela. It was awful.”
Hope surged that she, too, had seen the creatures and would corroborate my story.
Lana wiped tears from her eyes. “I was right there, next to you. We were just about to leave.” She put her hand to her throat, too choked up to speak. Then she said, “Draven was with you, looking out.” She paused.
“What else?”
“He…stepped closer. I noticed that he no longer had his arm around you. And in that moment, he got too close to the edge.” Tears streamed down Lana’s cheeks. “I saw it…I was looking when he slipped on a rock and hurtled over the side.”
This was good; Lana has been watching. She’d seen.
Lana raked both hands through her hair. “I just…it’s so terrible.”
My stomach twisted into knots. “So you saw what was in the sky?”
Lana’s blank look gave me pause. “The sky…it was horrific.”
I stared, waiting.
“It was as though Draven stepped into the sky,” Lana said. “I saw him suspended in midair, and it didn’t seem real. Then…” She sobbed. “He dropped out of sight.”
Lana leaned her face against my shoulder and cried. I gripped her arms to pull her back then looked into her eyes, hoping to see recognition. “But you saw them, didn’t you? Please tell me that you saw his captors.”
Lana wiped her tears on her sleeve. “I’m sorry, Mirela. Here I am blubbering on, when I should be thinking about you.” She hugged me. “You must be in shock. It must be such an ordeal for you.”
I closed my eyes, sinking deeper into my depression. Lana hadn’t witnessed what had occurred. She was human, as normal as all the rest. Hadn’t Draven told me that humans cannot see the creatures from his realm?
He’d been taken aback that I’d been able to see. There had been that white-haired creature who’d attacked us in the forest that day. Yet—as ugly as that creature had been—the winged women who’d made off with Draven were more horrific.
Lana stayed close, concerned about my condition. I wasn’t the one requiring aid: it was Draven who needed rescue. Other than diving off the cliff into the ocean and going after him, I didn’t know what to do. The activities around me became a distant buzz.
A classmate must have gone back to the picnic area to report the incident, and I saw more than one person talking on their phone. The chaperones found us at the lighthouse and took charge. The few students that had been with us relayed what had happened.
Their voices sounded muffled, like I was underwater. A thick buffer separated me from my surroundings. I moved as if through deep sand, walking in slow motion, unable to easily speak. Dreamlike, I did as I was asked. One of the mothers put her arm around me and guided me to sit on a bench.
The authorities must have been contacted, because uniformed men arrived. Their presence seemed to increase the noise level, with various parents voicing their alarm. The students appeared reluctant to offer much. Their voices were quiet when responding to the flood of questions.
“What happened?” “Who was he?” “Did you know him?” The questions abounded. Only no one spoke of the central issue: we had to go after him. In my delirium, I realized that no one would.
I heard Draven spoken of over and over, as the details were conveyed. Draven, my only love. Draven, the victim of a crime. Yet no one mentioned those important facts. They didn’t know. There was so much they weren’t aware of.
One of the fathers peered down at the beach. “The tide is high; the water is deep. It will be more difficult to find his body.”
My gut wrenched at the mention of Draven’s body. Yet I knew the patrol would scour the area without finding a shred of evidence. I didn’t know how I knew, but I was certain that he was gone. No search party would find him, as they didn’t know what they were up against.
The next hour or so went by in a blur. One of the parents assisted me to walk down the path, back to the picnic area. There were police, and one officer stopped me. He wanted to ask a few questions. Unfortunately, I had no answers.
I could only tell him what the others had already said. Draven had fallen off the cliff. What more was there to say? The officer gave me an understanding look, then motioned for the parent to take me over to sit down.
Someone had called my mother; I hadn’t thought to do it myself. But I could go home faster than she could come to get me. So I piled into the vehicle with other students. It occurred to me that my mother would be furious. She’d forbidden me to see Draven and would be appalled at what had happened.
Yet I wasn’t worried about her reaction. I was numb. There was only one thing that mattered, and that was finding Draven. No one else knew what I did. It was all up to me.
I had the urge to reveal what I’d seen, to plead with the adults to believe me. Yet the words caught in my throat. There was no way to tell them that didn’t sound crazy. It would be one more strike against me, and my mother might keep me at home.
That wouldn’t do at all. It was crucial that I have freedom of movement, since I was Draven’s only chance. It might be too late already, but I couldn’t afford to think that way. If the situation was reversed, I had confidence that Draven would fight the beasts of death to get to me.
I intended to do the same. I had no plan, and no real idea of what to do next—but I’d figure it out. It was important that I kept what I’d witnessed to myself. I’d act as normally as possible, to keep my mother from being on guard. She’d be upset, but if I was lucky she’d go easy on me.
After all, Draven was gone. The worst had already happened. What could my mother possibly fear?
The trip home was uncomfortable. It seemed like all eyes were on me, like I’d been responsible somehow. Or maybe the others were sympathetic or felt sorry for me. I stared out the window, not wanting to talk about it. I hated being the center of attention, plus it worked against my need to be discreet.
I didn’t want anyone watching me or tracking my actions. It was best if I fell off the radar, so I could do what I needed to. The others whispered to each other and texted on their phones. Lana had ridden in a different vehicle, so I didn’t even have her to console me.
When I finally got home, I just wanted to go up to bed. But I couldn’t disregard my mother’s teary look. “Oh, Mirela…I’m so sorry.” She hugged me tight. “I heard what happened. That must have been awful for you.”
I looked into her eyes, accepting her love and loving her back. “Thank you.”
My mother brushed my hair away from my face. “I’ve worried about you…didn’t want you with Draven. But I never wished this on him.”
I bit my lower lip, fighting back grief. All I could do was nod. I certainly hadn’t thought my mother wanted Draven dead. She wasn’t like that, just overprotective. But she wouldn’t wish disaster on anyone.
Thankfully, I was allowed to go up to my room. My mother didn’t bring up the fact that Draven had been at the picnic. She’d screened the list of attendees and signed the permission slip for me to go because she’d approved of the other students in the party.
If my mother had seen Draven’s name on the list, I would have been forbidden to attend. Yet that was a moot point, now that he’d met his demise. She was kind not to bring it up. And she loved me enough no
t to get angry, since I’d so recently experienced the loss of him.
I locked the door to my bedroom and sat in the window seat to gaze at the trees. I had to think. I had to come up with an idea. The fact that I wasn’t supernatural made the situation difficult. It wasn’t as though I could fly off and find Draven. Or dive under the ocean and follow his trail.
Yet there might be hope. I’d observed the creatures, which was significant. If humans were unable to see them, then was I different? Or was my imagination running away with me? I could envision that I had some hidden abilities. But even if I did, since I didn’t know what they were, it wasn’t of much use.
The darkness outside my window matched the gloom in my heart. Draven was gone, possibly forever. If only I’d had a hint that he was okay. But I didn’t have anything to go on.
Was Draven dead? I couldn’t be sure. I prayed that he was detained somewhere. No matter the place, or the distance, I’d find him. Yet he might be injured, even if not dead. Seconds ticked by, making me feel more useless.
A tear rolled down my cheek, but I didn’t bother to brush it away. I missed Draven, wanting desperately to see him again, to know he was alive. Images of the creatures who’d taken him flooded my mind, engulfing me with dread.
Losing Draven—watching him fall—replayed in my thoughts. Unlike other unsettling dreams I’d had, winged women transporting Draven away was a nightmare that I feared I wouldn’t wake up from.
Chapter 4 – Mirela
The next morning, a knock on my bedroom door woke me up. “Mirela, it’s late. Are you okay in there?”
I stirred and glanced at the clock, then groaned. “Yes…I’m okay. I’ll be down shortly.”
“There’s no rush. You don’t have to go to school today.”
I was relieved at that bit of news, unwilling to face the other students any sooner than I had to. The night had been rough. I’d tossed and turned, agonizing over the situation.
I’d wavered between despair and hope, even praying for Draven to come to me in my sleep. There had been that one time when he’d appeared in my dream. Only it hadn’t been pure fancy; he’d actually been in my bedroom.
Draven hadn’t admitted that he’d sneaked into my room. He’d been noncommittal when I’d brought it up. But I knew the truth. He was a vampire, so he had the abilities of his race. He’d entered through my upper-level bedroom window, having leapt from the ground below.
And when Draven departed, he’d moved faster than I could see. But what was important was that he had been there, watching me sleep. Then he’d spoken to me, lured and charmed me. I still regretted being unable to move. Deep sleep had weighted my limbs.
Yet I suspected that Draven had made certain I wouldn’t awaken. He had many undisclosed abilities, of that I was sure. And he certainly wouldn’t have wanted me to rise from my bed and demand explanations. Or…follow through on my desire.
The encounter had been sensual, alluring. Although I had no experience beyond kissing and feeling, in that moment, I’d wanted it all. Draven had done that to me, yet he’d held back. That had always been the way. Teasing, then not coming through.
I understood better now. There was more going on than I’d known, a great deal behind the scenes that he hadn’t shared. If only he had, I might be in a better position to help him. If he’d given me some idea of the world he’d come from and what to expect, then I’d have a sense of how to deal with things.
Only he hadn’t. Draven had repeatedly told me that he was protecting me, from dangers I wasn’t aware existed. Well, I was aware of them now, and he’d done little to prepare me. It would have been better if he’d shared more, trusted that I could handle it.
It did no good to think of that now. Draven was in no position to disclose information. I’d have to proceed with what I had. So I showered and dressed to get ready to face my mother. Anxiety filled my belly; she might be in worse shape than I was.
When I went downstairs, my mother was at the kitchen table. “Good morning, honey.”
I hugged her. “You’re not at work.”
“I wanted to be here when you woke up.” My mother’s wan smile alerted me to her concern. “I’ve contacted the school. You don’t have to return until you’re ready.”
Somehow, I had to head this off. My mother had shifted into protective mode, which she easily did. I didn’t mind—in fact, I was touched. But if she didn’t go back to her usual routine, I’d be under her watchful eye. That just wouldn’t work.
To prove that I was doing as good as could be expected, I went to the stove and dished up some of the scrambled eggs she’d made. “I admit that it was a shock,” I said. “I didn’t sleep well, so it was good of you to wake me later than normal.”
My mother smiled. “What would you like to do today? I can take the day off. We could be together…go for a walk or something.”
“That would be nice.” I shuffled my eggs around the plate, not really hungry. Still, I managed to swallow a mouthful. It was important not to further upset her, since she was already scrutinizing me.
“It’s going to be a tough period for you, I know that.” My mother put her hand on mine. “We’ll get through it together.”
Thoughts raced through my mind, most of them about Draven. It would be the easiest thing in the world to fold. I could grieve, stay out of school for a while, and bond with my mother. But what good would that do Draven?
While I was being consoled, he was god-knew-where. It wouldn’t do. “I know you’re worried about me,” I said. “But I’m stronger than you think.”
“I know that, honey.”
“I appreciate you caring…really, I do.” I swigged some water. “But I think what’s best is to go back to my routine as soon as possible.” I looked into my mother’s sad eyes. “I miss him, I admit it. The incident was…horrible.”
My mother’s eyes blurred with tears.
“But as long as I wallow in it, I won’t get past it.” It seemed I had absorbed some of the wisdom my mother had shared over the years.
“That’s very mature of you.”
“Draven…” I glanced at my mother, assessing her reaction. She was listening without judging. “He would want me to go on. He was…he wasn’t what you thought.”
“I believe you.”
I wasn’t sure if my mother did or not, but it was good that we didn’t have to argue about it. As far as she knew, Draven was gone anyway.
“I’ll go back to school tomorrow,” I said, even though facing my classmates was going to be tough. “We’ll walk, if you like. But it’s all right for you to go to work or to do whatever you need to. I could use some time by myself…to kind of process what’s happened.”
My mother came around and hugged me. “I love you, honey.”
A sense of relief washed over me. I had the day to focus on the task at hand. It was a start. “I love you too, Mom.”
Lana had texted three times. After my mother left to go do some shopping, I replied. It seemed that she had the day off, too. All the students who’d witnessed the fall were allowed to stay home for a day or so of recovery and offered grief counselling.
I jumped at the chance to see Lana. I texted: Meet me at coffee shop. She replied: Be there in ten minutes. I assumed she had to get approval to meet with me. No doubt her parents were as concerned as my mother had been. But hers were more lowkey, so it should be fine.
When I arrived at the café, I found an available table, so I sat and waited. Lana could place the orders when she got there. I spotted her at the entrance. She’d dressed and put on makeup. But when she got close, I could see that her eyes were puffy.
“Hey,” Lana said, then nodded toward the bar. “What do you want to drink?”
“A latte sounds good.”
I looked out the window while Lana got the drinks. It felt weird not to have to be at school. It was like playing hooky, only without the thrill. “Thanks,” I said when the drinks appeared.
“It’s usuall
y crowded here,” Lana said. “It was smart to save a table.” She sat across from me. “I asked for an extra shot in mine. I didn’t sleep well.” She motioned toward her face. “Puffy eyes.”
“Yeah, I noticed. I didn’t get much sleep either.”
Lana took a sip, then licked the foam from her lip. “I still can’t believe it.”
“I wish we could go back, do something different.”
“You mean like travel back in time?” Lana said. “I wish.”
I drank in silence, considering how to approach the discussion. Lana had been my friend since elementary school. I should be able to tell her anything. That had been our agreement. But that was before the supernatural appeared in my life.
“Remember how we said that we’d always tell each other everything?”
Lana nodded.
“Even if it’s really…outrageous?”
“I don’t recall us saying that.” Lana wrinkled her brow. “But okay.”
“Promise you won’t dismiss what I say without considering it.”
Lana hesitated. “Whatever it is, I think you’d better tell me.” She sighed. “Yes, I promise.”
Before beginning, I took a couple more sips. The caffeine helped clear my mind. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “What happened yesterday, well…”
Lana waited.
“There’s more to it than what you know.”
“Now, I really think you should tell me.”
I took a deep breath, then launched into a monologue, starting with Draven sneaking into my bedroom. Then I shared that he was a vampire and how I knew.
Lana’s eyes widened, but she didn’t interrupt.
As I poured out the details, all that I’d kept from her, Lana didn’t react. But when I told her about the winged women stealing Draven away, without skimping on the description, she gasped. “Mirela…”
“Yes, I know. I told you that it was outrageous.” I paused. “But it’s true. I swear.”
“Have you told anyone else?”
It didn’t escape my notice that Lana hadn’t tried to persuade me that I was imagining things. It reminded me why we were friends. “No, I haven’t said a word. You are the only one who knows.”