by Kelly Oram
“What’s an anomaly?” I asked.
Russ grinned at me. “Supernatural awesomeness.”
I wanted to stay angry and afraid, but with Russ and his dad being so casual about it I was quickly getting over myself. I finally cracked my first smile in days. “That’s helpful.”
I looked to Russ’s dad for a real explanation. “An anomaly,” he said, sounding like a college professor, “is a genetic mutation within the supernatural race.”
“I’m a supernatural mutant?” That sucked. “I take it back. I think I like Russ’s definition better.”
Alex smiled. “They’re still supernaturals like the rest of us, but somewhere within their genetics there is a mutation that makes them slightly different. You wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at them, but they are almost always more powerful and can break the rules. For instance, a witch who can cast spells without potions or incantations, or vampire who can come into contact with direct sunlight.”
“Okay, so how do we find out if that’s what I am?”
“Well, I might have a better idea if I could feel your magic. Would you mind casting a spell for me?”
“But I don’t know how to cast a spell.”
“How did you do it the other night?”
“I don’t know. It’s not like I meant to. I just didn’t want to see Conor fall in the fish pool because somebody tied his shoes together.”
I take back what I said earlier about not being mad at Russ anymore. I was still plenty pissed. Now that I was thinking about it again. I glared at Russ and he rolled his eyes at me.
His dad questioned us with a look but didn’t actually ask. “So you were just concentrating—wishing something to happen? Why don’t you try that now?”
“Sure,” I said. “Should I wish Russ into a toad?”
Russ smirked. “Hoping you’d have to kiss me to break the spell?”
“A rock then,” I snapped. “Because I’d love nothing more than to throw you in the lake right now!”
Russ opened his mouth to retort, but before he could get a word in he was suddenly flying through the air and made a giant splash deep in the middle of the lake.
When I realized what had happened I clasped my hands over my mouth. Russ’s dad was staring at me with astonishment. “I’m so sorry!” I said. “I didn’t mean to!” I turned around and ran out to the shore. “Russ!” I couldn’t see him anywhere. “Russ!”
“Feel better now?”
I whirled around with a start. Russ stood right behind me and his voice was the only thing about him that was dry. I was so relieved I hadn’t hurt him that I threw my arms around him in a tight hug. “Are you okay?”
Russ laughed and then lifted me off my feet. “You realize you’ve just started a war,” he warned. “You’ll get yours, missy. When you least expect it.”
Russ put me back down and I grinned. “You sure you want to do that?” I pointed a finger at myself. “Really powerful? Supernatural awesomeness? Ringing any bells?”
“No. Not really. I think I remember something about a mutant though.”
“Oh, shut up!”
Russ and I went back to the picnic table where his dad was still gaping at me. His face was pale, like he’d just seen a ghost. Russ and I glanced at each other and sat back down. “What is it?” I asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“You,” Alex said to me, “are most definitely an anomaly.”
“How can you tell?”
“Because you just used dark magic.”
“Dark magic?” Russ said. “That’s impossible. To use dark magic she’d have to be—”
“A warlock,” Alex said. He sounded as if he still didn’t believe it.
“You mean I’m the same thing as you?” I asked. “Well that makes sense then doesn’t it? That’s why we don’t hate each other. I’m not a witch after all.”
“But it’s impossible,” Russ said again.
“Why?”
“Because warlocks are boys. Always. There’s never been a female warlock.”
“And therein lies the anomaly.” There was pride in Alex’s voice and he continued to stare at me with wonder.
“So, what do we do?” Russ asked. “Should we take her to see the council?”
“No,” Alex said. “Not yet. Not until we have more answers to tell them. I’ll do some research, and I’ll help you learn to control your magic, Dani. I guess that’s one good thing about this, I can mentor you myself and nobody needs to find out about you.”
“Do I need to be kept secret? From other supernaturals, I mean?”
Alex looked worried. “You’re very powerful, Dani. Very, very powerful. The fact that you are something I’ve never even heard of before will catch people’s intrigue. Yes, I believe that you might be in danger if you were discovered. It’s best to wait until you’ve grown into yourself a little more.”
“Okay.” My mouth suddenly felt very dry.
“You’ll have us,” Russ assured me. “We’ll keep you safe.”
“And we’ll help you,” Alex added. “These next few months are going to be very stressful for you. The cravings start when you first come into your powers, as you have just done. The worst of it lasts a few months, and the more powerful one’s aura, the stronger the cravings. I’m afraid it will be especially difficult for you.”
“What should I do?”
“For now, stay as close to Russ or myself as you can. And wear your necklace all the time.”
“The one Russ gave me?”
Alex nodded. “It’s a very powerful amulet. Russ didn’t know that at the time, but that’s why I agreed he should give it to you. I figured this was coming on soon, and the amulet holds some of the Devereaux family magic. It should help dull the cravings.”
Russ nudged my side with his elbow. “Look at me thinking ahead like that.”
“Please.” I laughed. “If you ever actually managed to think ahead for anything, I’d die of shock.”
“And if you were ever the least bit appreciative of all the incredibly thoughtful things I do for you, I would die of shock.”
“Well, you two seem to be back to normal.” Alex sighed his disapproval of our squabbling as he rose to his feet. “My presence here is clearly no longer required. I’m sure you two want to talk about this without me around, and I’ve got some things to look into now. Dani, if you have any questions at all, or anything else unusual happens, call me straight away. And you’re welcome in our house any time you need. Day or night. If things get too difficult, you can start sleeping over. We’ll figure out a way to deal with your parents if we need to. In the mean time?” He narrowed his eyes at us. “Try to stay out of trouble. Magic is not a toy. Remember it can be dangerous.”
“Dad,” Russ said lightly. “Who do you think you’re talking to, here?”
“I know exactly who I’m talking to, Russell, so I’ll say it again. You two stay out of trouble.”
The wicked grin Russ gave me when his father turned his back on us melted away the last of my worries. True, life just got a lot crazier and I still couldn’t really believe it, but at least I wasn’t in this alone.
Actually I was glad that Russ and I were still the same even if we were both freaks. At least this way we were freaks together. This wasn’t going to drive us apart like Russ had been so afraid of. If anything it was going to make us closer. It was a secret we shared, another thing we had in common that made us special to one another. Plus, Russ was right, we could have some serious fun with magic. Pools of Jell-O were just the beginning.
“I do believe my dad just gave you permission to move in with me, and then offered to cover for you with your parents,” Russ said once his father was gone.
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
Russ slipped his hand into mine and laced our fingers together. The action was so surprising that I jumped. Until this week, in all the years I’d known him, Russ had only ever acted toward me in a platonic best-friends way. Our relatio
nship even bordered on brotherly/sisterly at times. The way he was holding my hand at the moment didn’t feel like either.
I tried to jerk away, but Russ’s grip was too tight. “It’s all right. I know you need this. I remember what it was like.”
“You went through this too?” I don’t know why that thought hadn’t occurred to me before.
“Of course. Every supernatural goes through it. Remember when I was twelve? How I got totally weird around you and then my dad took me to New Jersey for the summer? I was coming into my powers, and the cravings were too much so he took me to stay with some old friends of his until I could handle it being just me and him.”
“Clara?”
Russ nodded.
I tried not to let my jealousy show. Russ was twelve at the time, and supervised, and he seemed to hate her. But I still didn’t like the idea that he’d spent the whole summer living with some supernatural girl when he was going through these cravings. I mean they were making me crazy with desire and I don’t have the hormones of a guy.
I wanted to ask if anything ever happened between them, but at the same time I didn’t think I wanted to know Russ’s dating history. Believe it or not, that subject had never come up between us. I’d always assumed he’d dated lots of girls and had experience in the kissing department because he’s so confident and gorgeous, but I’d never actually seen him date anyone. He’s always just had me the way I’ve always only had him.
I asked a different question just to keep myself distracted. “You got your magic at twelve?”
“Unless you’re turned, like a vampire or a werewolf, it tends to manifest around puberty.” Russ laughed. “Sixteen. Always the late bloomer, Dani.”
“Shut up!” I ripped my hand from his in order to smack him. “If we have to be stuck together twenty-four seven for the next three to six months, do you think you could at least try not to be such a jerk?”
“You love it when I’m a jerk. It’s endearing.”
“It’s annoying.”
Russ grinned. “Fine. No more being a jerk. How about I show you a really cool trick instead.”
“Didn’t your dad tell us not to play with magic?”
“He told us to stay out of trouble. This one won’t cause any trouble.”
Russ dragged me over to the water’s edge and kicked off his shoes.
“That water is freezing,” I said as I watched him roll up his pants.
“I’m well aware how cold it is. You threw me in it, remember? Stop whining and get in here.”
I took off my shoes and rolled my pants up to my knees. The cold water pricked my feet.
“Okay,” Russ said. “Now close your eyes and prepare to be amazed.”
When I closed my eyes Russ muttered something under his breath and suddenly the water surrounding my feet was no longer uncomfortable. “It feels like bath water!” I gasped. “That’s incredible!”
“Cool huh? You see? Being supernatural’s not such a bad thing. I know the idea is a little strange to accept, but magic definitely has its perks.”
Russ was right. This was amazing. “Thank you.” I threw my arms around him. I’d been so freaked out since the dance that this small bit of hope almost moved me to tears. “Really, Russ. Thank you for this.”
“C’mon,” Russ said. “Let’s go swimming.”
“What, right now?”
Russ ripped his shirt over his head. “The water will stay warm,” he promised.
“What are we supposed to do, swim in our underwear?”
Apparently that was exactly what we were supposed to do, because Russ stripped down to his boxers and dove into the water. When he surfaced I said, “I am not stripping down to my undies with you.”
“It’s not like you haven’t before. Remember when we were four and my dad got us that Slip n’ Slide? You had no problem stripping down then.”
“I didn’t have boobs then.”
“You still don’t.”
My jaw dropped.
“Dani, things have been so stressful this week. I know you. You’ll feel better if you do something crazy.” Russ turned his back to me. “Come on. No one’s looking.”
I couldn’t believe I was letting him talk me in to it, but I hurriedly took my shirt and pants off and dove in the water. It felt amazing.
“I’m impressed! I didn’t think you’d go for it.” Russ said when I poked my head above the surface. I made sure the water line never dropped below my shoulders.
“You were right,” I said. “I really need to de-stress.”
Russ swam over until he was standing a foot in front of me. He dropped his playful attitude and looked way too serious all of the sudden. “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to be here with you every step of the way. I’ll do whatever you need me to. Even if that’s forcing you to strip down to your skivvies and jump in a lake.” He winked and cracked a smile, but sobered up almost immediately. “I mean it,” he said. “Whatever you need.”
Ha! If he only knew what I felt like I needed right then.
Or… maybe he did.
Somehow Russ was only centimeters from me now, though I hadn’t noticed him move closer. I could feel the heat coming off his body. I felt that magical pull stirring inside me, driving me mad with the desire to touch him, to run my fingers over his bare chest.
As if he could read my mind, Russ slid his hand around my waist and pulled me tightly against him. When I gasped he snaked his other arm around me and locked me in his grip knowing I’d try to escape. My attempt to put some distance between us was a pathetic one, and it only encouraged him.
“I don’t get it Russ,” I breathed, fighting off a shiver.
“What’s not to get?” Russ moved his hands up my back, pinning our bodies together. “I can’t really make it any more obvious.”
I panicked. “This isn’t us. We’re best friends. You’ve never once….” My voice trailed off when I felt my cheeks turning red. “I didn’t think you wanted this. Like I was born into the wrong family, remember?”
Russ’s grip tightened the tiniest bit. “I hate when you and Dad joke about that. You are not my sister.”
“Then why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“I’m not human, Dani. There was so much of me I had to keep hidden from you. My dad always says it wasn’t the magic that my mom couldn’t handle. He said she was strong enough. He said she would have been the one in a thousand if he hadn’t lied to her for so long. But he never gave her a choice to be a part of our world. By the time she knew it existed she was already tied to it. She was already married to my dad. She already had a son who wasn’t human. I couldn’t do that to you. I wasn’t going to get into a relationship if I couldn’t be myself with you.”
The moment felt completely surreal because even though I’d never really thought about there being an “us” before, it still felt like I’d waited my whole life to hear him say all these things. I felt a warmth inside me that was different from the energy I’d been feeling lately, and I relaxed.
“What made you finally decide to tell me?”
“I always thought it was better to have you as a friend than tell you the truth and risk losing you, but I can’t be just your friend anymore. It’s killing me.” Russ dropped his voice to a whisper and it shook slightly. “Dani you have to know that I’m as drawn to you as you are to me. I may have settled down since coming into my power, but I still crave you.”
“This….” Russ put his fingertips on my cheek and dragged them down my neck, then brushed them back and forth along the length of my collarbone. It was too much to handle. My breath caught in my lungs and I started to tremble.
“The chance to touch you like this,” Russ said, “in a way that could never be mistaken for friendship, it’s all I ever think about anymore.”
A loud, slow clap startled both Russ and me from the trance we’d fallen into.
Standing twenty feet away on the edge of the lake was a tall man with sun-kissed skin and shagg
y brown hair that fell in his eyes and curled out behind his ears. He looked about twenty-five and had arms that bulged out from the sleeves of his t-shirt. I had no doubt he could bench-press like five of me.
He was good-looking, but he was a stranger. Which, in our quiet little town that was so far off the beaten path people only came here when they had a really good reason to, was highly unusual.
“Now that was a line,” he said with amusement. “Seriously, I’m going to have to use that sometime.”
“Yeah, and until you showed up the line was working,” Russ called out in a voice full of false friendliness. “So, uh, show a little decency and find somewhere else to be.”
The stranger laughed. “I like you. You remind me of myself. If I were you I’d give the girl a kiss while you have the chance.”
I saw Russ’s muscles tighten and I put my hand on his arm. “Be careful,” I whispered. “There’s something about him. I can feel him like I feel you and your dad.”
Russ glanced at me. “He’s a supernatural? Are you sure?”
“As sure as I can be.”
I looked back at the stranger. It didn’t look like he was in a hurry to follow Russ’s advice to get lost. He walked over to the pile of clothes Russ and I had left behind and picked up my shirt. “This is a nice color for you, Danielle. I like it when girls aren’t afraid to wear a little color. Why don’t you come out of there and let me see how it looks on. I assume you’ll want to be dressed for our journey.”
Russ pushed me behind him. “And just what journey are you talking about?” he asked while I had another question.
“How do you know my name?”
“You’d better get used to that, Dani. Pretty soon every supernatural in the world will know your name. News travels fast, and the rumors about you…well, let’s just say you’re a bit of a celebrity. That’s why I’m here. I’ve come to fetch you for my boss. He’s very interested in meeting the one who’s supposed to fulfill the prophecy.”
To my surprise Russ let out a gasp and then looked at me with wide eyes.
“That’s right,” the stranger said to Russ. “The Seer has predicted it. No doubt the council is already on their way to steal and corrupt her for their own purpose. My job was to get here before they did.”