Bitter Magic

by Raven Steele

  She held up her left hand, revealing a sixth finger. “I think it did this to me. We all have things about us that we would like to change. Very few of us are ever happy with our appearance. Personally, I think your hair is lovely. There are lots of people who would love to have your hair, especially those who have lost theirs to cancer.”

  “I guess if you put it like that,” I said, feeling stupid for asking the question.

  “You’re a special girl, Llona. Whatever happens here, just remember your focus: to become a better and stronger Aura. There are so few of us.”

  I was about to ask her what she meant when a head popped in the door.

  “Am I interrupting?” May asked.

  Abigail glanced down at the bag, which was almost full. “Nope. I’m finished. Come on in.” She pulled out the needle and pushed a cotton ball onto my arm.

  “Hold this, please,” she told me.

  “How was dinner, May?” I asked.

  Abigail placed a Band-Aid over the cotton ball.

  “Not bad.”

  “So, you’re May?” Abigail asked. “The recently discovered Fury?”

  “That’s what everyone keeps saying,” May said.

  Abigail went to her and, inches from her face, said, “Be careful and know exactly who you are.” She leaned away and smiled. “You girls have a good night and remember, if you ever need to talk to someone, my office is near the commons room.”

  As soon as she closed the door, May said, “That was creepy.”

  “Right?” I agreed.

  May slipped off her sandals and wiggled her toes into the tan carpet. “You’re lucky you have carpet.”

  “Don’t you?”

  “No. I have the same hardwood that’s in the halls.”

  I found it odd that my room would have carpet when our rooms were so close. “Yeah, well I would rather have hardwood floors than a stinky room.”

  May inhaled deeply. “I don’t know why you keep saying that. It smells fine in here. How’s your hand?”

  I looked down at my right knuckle and was surprised to see that it was almost healed.

  May noticed too. “Wow! I can’t believe how fast Auras heal.”

  “Neither can I,” I said, knowing I had never healed this fast before.

  Before I could think too much about it, May asked, “Have you called Jake yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  “I still need to call my mom too. Some lady in the dining room said we could use the phone in the commons room or downstairs in the lobby after seven.”

  “Cool. Let’s go. I’ll try calling Christian after Jake.” I turned around and almost ran into Sophie, who was standing in the doorway. I gasped.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Call Christian?”

  “I just wanted to see how he’s doing, that’s all,” I stuttered.

  Sophie closed the door. “I think we should have a talk, Llona.”

  May looked from me to her. “Maybe I should go—”

  “Stay,” Sophie said. “Llona may need to be reminded of what I’m about to tell her. Sit down, please.”

  Both May and I dropped to the bed and eyed each other worriedly.

  “I have a confession, Llona. About you. And Christian.” Sophie walked to the window and peered out. “I know Christian was staying at your house for a while—”

  “It wasn’t what it seemed!” I blurted. How did she know? Jake wouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t think anyway.

  Sophie turned around and gave me a kind smile. “I know, Llona. It was your special circumstance, I understand. You felt you were being hunted and thought a Vyken was after you. Having Christian close by made you feel safer. I know all about it.”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t just think a Vyken was after me. I knew it.”

  “It’s true,” May said.

  “Of course it is. Christian’s report was very detailed, including the part where you—not him—killed the Vyken.”

  “That wasn’t his fault,” I said, my hands tightening into fists. “I snuck out of the house while he spoke to the police about . . .” I swallowed, unable to say Tracey’s name.

  May looked at me sympathetically.

  Sophie sat down on the vanity chair and placed her hand over mine. “This isn’t about what happened. This is about your future.”

  “My future?”

  “You formed a bond with Christian. Most Auras do with their Guardians, but I’m worried that your bond, because it was created under unusual circumstances, might be different than most.”

  My pulse began to race. Did she know we’d kissed?

  Sophie inhaled a deep breath. “I’m afraid you may feel more strongly for Christian than you should. It’s only natural, after all. You haven’t been properly trained, and you might think it’s acceptable because of your parents’ relationship, but,” she motioned for me not to interrupt, “I want to reiterate that a relationship between an Aura and her Guardian is dangerous. Your mother knew this, but she ignored it.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Sophie withdrew her hand and looked away. “Laura came to me the night before she was married. She was having doubts about your father, Mark.”

  “No way,” I said, knowing how much my parents loved each other.

  “It’s true. You see, your mother kept having dreams, nightmares are more like it. In them, she would see Mark dying a hundred different ways. At first, she thought she was just nervous because they were going against everything they’d been taught, but after a while, she became convinced it was a premonition. I told her if she felt that strongly about them, then she shouldn’t marry him.”

  My mouth dropped open, but Sophie continued, “When we finished talking, Laura had decided to do just that. She told me that if their union meant Mark might die, then it wasn’t worth it. However, the next day they were married. Mark must’ve said something to convince her otherwise.”

  “My parents were happy.”

  “Of course they were, but both of them are dead now, and I know that if they hadn’t married, they’d be alive today.”

  “You can’t know this.”

  “Maybe not, but I feel it. The only good thing to come out of their union was you.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because I don’t want to see what happened to her, happen to you or Christian.”

  “But nothing’s going on with me and Christian.”

  She stared at me for what felt like a very long time. “Good. Let’s keep it that way.”

  “Well that should be easy to do, seeing how he’s not here, right?”

  “Just remember what I said.” She stood and walked to the door and opened it. Before going through, she added, “If you’re really in love,” she cleared her throat, “I mean, in the future, when you think you’ve found your one true love, you will sacrifice everything for their safety.”

  The door closed. I stared at the back of it, trying to process Sophie’s words.

  May spoke first. “I’m sure your mom never regretted her decision to marry your dad.”

  I nodded, feeling numb. The smell of blood in my room had grown stronger somehow.

  May rubbed my back in slow circles. “Are you okay, Llona?”

  I jumped up and inhaled deeply. “I’m fine. Just weirded out by my aunt. She can be so dramatic sometimes.”

  “Do you believe what she said?”

  I turned my back to her. “I don’t know. I don’t want to think about it.”

  May was quiet for a minute, then, “Do you still want to call Jake?”

  I stared down at a full suitcase on the floor. “I’ll call him tomorrow.”

  May stood up and nodded. “Will you be okay?”

  “Of course,” I lied, my stomach knotting into impossible loops.

  After May left, I hurried to the window and threw it open. I gulped in as much cool air as my lungs could handle.

  I was having nightmares and in them people were viole
ntly dying. I hadn’t seen their faces to know who they were but that hadn’t mattered to me. Because in my dreams, I was the one holding the bloodied knife.

  Chapter 4

  I resolved not to think about Sophie’s words or my nightmares anymore and finished unpacking my clothes into the small closet. I showered and got ready for bed. Still not tired, I read a book May had let me borrow. I was hoping it would put me to sleep, but when I finished at two in the morning, I knew it was useless.

  Since that day I killed Mr. Steele, I hadn’t been able to sleep much. Maybe because when I did, my dreams would haunt me.

  I swung my feet over the edge of the bed. The full moon spilled in through my window in great ribbons of light, pushing the darkness to the corners of the room. Seeing the moonlight, feeling its warmth, was like remembering an old friend.

  Pulling on sweats and a hoodie, I moved to my open window. Other than a few street lamps lighting up the sidewalks between buildings, Lucent was dark and quiet. I leaned out the window and scanned the side of the brick building. Within arm’s reach was a fat pipe attached to the brick wall. I gave it a hard jerk to make sure it was sturdy. The last thing I wanted was to fall to my death on my first day here.

  I carefully slipped out the window and wrapped my hands around the pipe. My feet fumbled in the air until they found the metal clips that held the pipe to the bricks. Now what? I glanced down. I had at least thirty feet to go. Using arm strength, I slowly began to slide down the pipe until I could jump to the ground.

  Keeping to the shadows, I made my way between buildings. Even though Sophie had said I could come and go as I pleased, something told me that wandering around in the middle of the night wouldn’t be approved.

  The moment I was clear of the lights, I sprinted toward the wall surrounding the school. The light from the full moon made the muscles beneath my skin hum with energy, but it did nothing to increase my strength like it used to do. Christian had taught me months ago how to control my power so I could always have Light’s full strength, regardless of the moon’s cycle.

  The wall’s dark form grew taller the closer I came, making me feel claustrophobic. I ran alongside it, searching for an opening. It must have been at least a mile long. The only opening I found was where the wall came together at the front gates, which were, of course, now closed and, after a quick examination, impossible to climb due to their long vertical bars.

  I was trapped.

  I sucked in a deep breath and took off running again, this time toward a shed I had passed earlier. It was in the rear of the property and right next to the wall.

  Glancing behind me to make sure I was alone, I scanned the shadows of the trees and buildings. I moved to face forward, but just then swore I saw a shadow detach from another and move behind me. My pulse raced.

  I stopped and listened closely but heard nothing and saw no one. Chill out. No one is following you.

  Breathing in a slow breath, I started forward again, spotting the shed’s dark silhouette up ahead. I picked up my pace. I was going to need a lot more speed to accomplish what I had in mind.

  Within feet of the shed, I leapt as high as I could. My fingers just barely caught the edge of the shed’s roof, and I used my arms to pull me up the rest of the way. I straightened and stared over the wall. Moonlight drenched the top of the forest in a silvery haze, but none of its light was allowed through to the ground. The trees clung to the darkness as if it were its lifeblood. I suddenly wanted to be a part of it, to discover what lay hidden within.

  I scooted back as far as I could on the shed’s small roof, sucked in a deep breath, then sprinted five steps. In one giant leap, I jumped from the shed and landed on top of the wall, windmilling my arms backwards to keep me balanced on its narrow top. As soon as I was sure I wasn’t going to fall on my face, I let out the air I’d been holding.

  The invisible band around my chest loosened. I was free.

  Smiling, I didn’t just jump from the wall, I dove. Before I reached the ground, I turned my dive into a summersault and rolled into a standing position.

  I focused on the darkness ahead of me. I should be frightened. I shouldn’t want to go in there. But I did. I wanted to feel its inky blackness envelop me, slide across my skin, whisper its secrets.

  A growl deep within my throat vibrated my esophagus. With it came a sudden fierceness I couldn’t explain and it propelled me forward.

  I was almost there, about to take a step into the inviting black, when I heard, “Stop!”

  My heart skipped a beat, and I stumbled.

  I turned around in time to see a boy running toward me, but as he drew closer I could see he was hardly a boy. He looked to be nineteen, maybe twenty, with a buzz haircut. His eyes were big and dark, shadowed by thick eyebrows.

  He stopped in front of me with a stiff posture, upright, like a drill sergeant. “What are you doing out here?”

  “Running. What are you doing out here?” I countered.

  “Guarding the school. How did you get out here anyway?”

  “I jumped over the Great Wall of China, and not too easily, I might add.”

  His demeanor relaxed, and a sly grin teased the corners of his mouth. “I would have liked to have seen that. But, really, you should go back inside. It’s not safe for you.”

  “Not happening. I need to go running.”

  “There’s a track on the inside. Go there.”

  I shook my head again. “Too confining.”

  He looked me up and down as if searching for another reason I’d be out here other than sheer desire. “Who are you?”

  “Llona Reese. I just got here today.”

  He smiled or smirked—the faint moonlight held the truth from me. “Ah, the special Llona Reese. My name’s Jackson. I knew your father.”

  “How’s that?”

  “He trained me for a short time when I was younger. Good man. Very talented.”

  A Guardian. I should’ve known they’d be around with their special hearing and amazing eyesight. “So you’re out here patrolling?”

  Jackson glanced behind me. I couldn’t help but admire his strong Roman nose.

  “That’s right,” he answered. “It’s not safe for Auras.”

  “I was told I would be safe.”

  “You’re safe in there,” he said, nodding his head toward the school.

  “Why not out here?”

  He looked at me like I was an idiot. “This is a school for Auras. Don’t you think a Vyken might want to hang out, looking for, um, I don’t know, someone like you, an Aura who doesn’t follow the rules?”

  “I’m not afraid of Vykens,” I said. The weird thing was I wasn’t. Knowing I could kill one was strangely comforting.

  “Just because you killed one, doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous.”

  I looked at him, surprised.

  “Yeah, I know what you did. The other Auras may not, but most Guardians do. We’re all aware of how Christian screwed up.”

  Heat rose to my face. “He did not screw up. I snuck away so no one else would get hurt.” Calm down. I don’t have to tell this guy anything.

  “It doesn’t matter what you did. Christian should’ve been there. It should’ve been him who killed the Vyken, not you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re an Aura. You’re incapable of killing.”

  It was my turn to look at him as if he were the idiot. “But I did kill one, and I was just fine. In fact, I liked it.”

  Hearing my confession out loud was the one thing tonight that had managed to frighten me.

  “Then there’s something wrong with you,” he said, as if that was the only explanation.

  “I don’t have time for this.” I took a step toward the shadows.

  Jackson grabbed me by the arm. His grip was incredibly strong. “I can’t let you do that.”

  I shrugged his arm away. “You don’t have a choice. I’m not a prisoner.”

  He considered this. “Fine, but if
you insist on running out here then I’m going with you.”

  “You sure you can keep up?” I darted away before he could answer.

  Darkness swallowed me the moment I entered the old forest. There was something seductive about the way the dark felt against my skin, cool and tingly, like it was dragging silk across my skin. My nerve-endings became alive in all the right places.

  Giggling to myself, I raced through the trees, sometimes swinging from a branch to help myself over thick shrubs or dips in the landscape. There was nothing to slow my pace except for Jackson, who wasn’t doing too bad of a job keeping up.

  I turned a sharp corner into a small clearing and stopped abruptly. The forest felt different here, even smelled different, like burnt pine needles, and I had the strange feeling that I’d crossed over into someone else’s territory.

  Behind me, Jackson stopped too, panting. “That was incredible! I never run like—”

  He froze as if sensing the same thing I was. He stepped in front of me and returned to his soldier-like stance.

  Not more than twenty feet in front of us, a wall of trees, black as night, appeared to shift. Something moved within it. My pulse quickened when a throaty growl, low and deep, rippled the air around us. The hair on my arms rose.

  “Run,” Jackson whispered.

  Chapter 5

  I was about to take him up on his offer when a voice said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

  From the shadows, a Vyken in his raw form stepped out. Air caught in my chest, and I almost choked on it.

  The Vyken wore normal clothes, jeans and a dark T-shirt, but nothing else about him was human-like. Leather-like skin, black in color, pulled tightly around his face, but in some areas the skin stretched too far, creating cracks and spaces where yellowed bone, specifically on his cheek bones, bled through. But all this was nothing compared to his dark, sunken eyes. They begged for an audience, a theater production of the worst kind of violence imaginable.

  I stumbled back, a wave of nausea threatening to collapse me, but Jackson caught my arm.

  “Get back, Vyken,” Jackson ordered.