“Ugh, speaking of red faces, I think Eve was blushing when I said Peter and Emmanuel would be at the party.”
Jasmine squealed. “Ewww, old people getting it on. That’s gross, Grace.”
I shot her a horrified look as I reached for the paper bag Lucas had thrown at me. “What is wrong with you? I never said they were getting it on, you perv. I just said she was blushing.”
“Yeah, blushing because she wants some.” Jasmine put her glasses back on and smirked at my obvious disgust.
I emptied the contents of the bag onto her lap, bracing myself for an onslaught of skin-tight leather or sequined hot pants. “Oh.”
A simple, white dress tumbled out of the bag onto Jasmine's bare thighs. I plucked it between my thumb and forefinger, not wanting to stain it. Jasmine turned away to fasten her kickass knee-high boots, and I felt a rush of relief. I had never gotten ready with friends before. Communal nudity was probably a bridge too far.
I eased the soft cotton over my head and spun around in a full circle, watching the skirt swing. Jasmine stood up and released my hair from where it had caught under the straps of my dress. We looked into the mirror, and she rested her head against my shoulder, her raven spirals contrasting with my thick chocolate waves. I tugged at the ends of my hair. “Jasmine, can I ask you something? It’s probably stupid…”
She met my eyes in the glass. “Ask me anything, I told you that.”
I crossed my arms and tucked my hands under. “The Spirit Demons. And the Spirit War. The Demons didn’t feed on the Half-Born, right? I mean, I know they were drawn to them, but it was the pure blood Humans and Angels that they consumed?”
Jasmine nodded.
“Then why were they a risk to us? To my family? Why did it matter when they descended on me outside the cottage? I’m not of pure blood.”
Jasmine fiddled with her glasses. “The Spirit Demons didn’t feed on Half-Born during the Spirit War,” she paused and pushed her hair back. “At least, that’s what Angels are taught. Emmanuel has a theory that maybe it wasn’t true, maybe the Spirit Demons did feed on people of mixed blood, but the story is what people wanted to hear to justify sacrificing all those Half-blood families. Hundreds of thousands.”
I pressed my hand against my mouth and swallowed hard. Jasmine shook her head. “Anyway, it’s not true now. For hundreds of years there was hardly a whisper recorded about Spirit Demons. The Guardians were the biggest scourge for the Shadow Children, they have been relentless in their pursuit of any threat to the veil. And Halfling children are always born. Angels and Humans fall in love. It happens. Usually, the Angel keeps their true nature concealed, and hopes they can maintain the secret, keep their family safe and hidden. Sometimes they can. Sometimes they can’t. The Shadow Children have grown year after year. Sheltering families, trying to rescue those incarcerated in the Silent Homes. But until fifty years ago there was scarcely any mention of Spirit attacks. Since then, they have steadily increased, and nobody is safe. Who knows where they’ve been, or why their appetite has changed, but they’re on the hunt. And they will devour anything in their path. Maybe Demon-Born are an exception to that rule, you guys are a bit of an enigma. It’s not something I think we should try to find out.”
I squeezed my arms tighter against my chest. “I don’t know how you do that stuff. Fighting Spirit Demons, breaking into the Silent Homes, going up against the Guardians. We’re young. We should be trying to get into clubs and sneaking vodka from Emmanuel’s liquor cabinet. And wearing neon pink miniskirts. At least Lucas is helping us with that part.”
Jasmine snickered. “None of those clothes were really for you. Lucas hid the stuff we bought for you under the bed.”
I grinned. “So, the hot pink Lycra and the tutu is yours?”
“Actually, it’s for Lydia.” Jasmine scrunched up her nose defiantly. “But I might borrow it.”
I smiled at the fierce look on her face and tried to picture Jasmine in the slinky dress instead of her tiny shorts and biker boots. She laughed and pulled a light hoodie on over her crop top.
I gave myself a final once over in the mirror, twisting my gold band around my wrist as I ran through a silent pep talk. This will be a good night. You deserve friends. Everybody likes you. I rolled my eyes at my own reflection and followed Jasmine.
When we got downstairs, Lydia, Frank, and Elijah were waiting for us at the door of the dining hall. Lydia wolf whistled, “Hot stuff, ladies.” I covered my face with my jacket, and she swatted it away. “Hey! No false modesty, biatches. Own that beauty.”
She batted her eyelashes at me and pouted her lips. Frank slid his hand around her waist.
I glanced up at Elijah and found his eyes already on my face. He gave me an easy grin. “You look good, Grace.”
Lucas and Lydia sprinted past us and bolted out through the main door. Jasmine’s lips twitched at my confusion. “They’re racing to the field. It’s what they do.”
Frank groaned and headed for the door. “Everything has to be a bloody competition in this place.”
Elijah shouted after him, “Keep your eyes on the prize, dude.”
I laughed as Frank’s hand appeared back through the doorway, a single finger raised in response.
The sky was not yet dark when we got outside. An amber glow bathed the cliff top as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Thick stakes were buried in the ground along the cliff’s edge, each topped with an unlit basket of furze.
Cat waved at me from where she was sitting on a picnic blanket with a sandy-haired tutor and few children. Dawn and another girl were racing around in a circle, shrieking like banshees. Cain stood close by, talking to Peter.
The urge to run and hide was overwhelming. I had spent countless nights hoping for something like this to happen to our family. Shadow Hall could offer us so much. Friends, safety, security. Everything I had ever wanted. Almost everything. It should have felt great, instead it felt terrifying. As if we had so much further to fall, should everything collapse out from under our feet.
Lucas stomped over to us, followed by Frank who was carrying Lydia on his back, celebrating her victory. Lucas scowled at them. “Young love is sickening.”
Lydia kicked his backside. “Don’t be a sore loser, Old Man Lucas. There’s nothing wrong with young love.” She swung herself off Frank’s back and pressed herself against his chest. He leaned down and kissed her lips.
Lucas rolled his eyes. “Get. A. Room. Vomit inducing. Relationships are devil’s work.”
“Looks okay to me.” Jasmine's voice was soft. “It must be kind of nice to find somebody who thinks everything about you is amazing.”
I stepped closer to Jasmine. “So, lads, what do the locals think when they see you guys lighting fires and dancing under the moonlight every month?”
Lydia laughed at my question, rejoining the group with Frank’s arms wrapped around her waist. Lucas spread his hands out. “There aren’t too many locals around Silver Strand, we're kind of low on the population density front. ‘To hell or to Connaught,’ as Cromwell said. Only the brave can survive the West.”
He was right, despite its beauty the land in this part of Ireland was rocky and the coastline savage. It couldn’t have been an easy place to live in the long winter months. Unless you could magically transport yourself. Obviously.
Frank shrugged his shoulders. “Anyway, most of them think we’re rich American brats, so dancing by firelight is probably the least they expect.”
I smiled at Frank. Fair point. “But you don’t all come from America, right? I know Lucas grew up in the New York cell, same as Jasmine and Elijah, but you guys don’t have American accents?”
Frank shook his head. “No. There are Shadow Children all over the world. Thousands of cells, a lot of them bigger than this one. My family is in Dublin. I was sent here when I turned seventeen to finish my training, same as Lucas.”
Frank looked at Lydia when he finished speaking. She smiled, “My family is in Prague. We
were in the Sydney cell until I was eleven, then my Dad transferred to Prague, so I was there until nine months ago when I was placed here.”
“That’s nice, Prague and Dublin. So your families are close enough to visit.” I screwed my eyes shut. “Except it actually doesn’t matter how far away people are. I keep forgetting you can just slip wherever you want.”
Frank shrugged. “That’s not how it works. I haven’t seen my family since I got here.”
I raised my shoulders. “But Lucas left today to go shopping?”
Lucas shook his head. “That’s different. We can go out as long as we have permission, and have ourselves cloaked, but making contact with anyone from the hidden world has risks.”
He threw his arm around Jasmine’s shoulder and nudged her. “Anyway, when the gatekeeper is your partner-in-crime for fashion, then you get a little extra freedom to shop.” His grin faded as he looked over my shoulder. “Exterminate, exterminate.”
Lucas did a decent Dalek impression, but it wasn’t enough to soften the blow of Megan’s arrival. She strutted past me without a sideward glance and put her hand on Elijah’s chest. “Where’s Sam? Are you sitting with us?”
Her tone gave the impression she was giving him an order, not an invitation. I swallowed the bitter taste of jealousy flooding my mouth. I had no right to feel aggrieved. Sam had only ever been my friend, and it had been months since he was even that.
Lydia jumped up and down and squealed. “Oh my God, oh my God, Megan wants us to sit with her! Yippee. Not.” Megan gave her a patronizing half smile.
Elijah lifted her hand off his chest. “If I see Sam, I’ll tell him where you are, Megan.”
She regarded him with narrowed eyes. Her perfect cupids bow lips were pinched tightly as she flounced back toward the fire.
Jasmine made a face at Megan’s back. “That girl is such a nasty piece of work. What does Sam see in her?” Her words were like a closed fist pummeling my chest. A drum began to beat on the other side of the field, and I moved toward it, grateful for the distraction from the weight that settled in the pit of my stomach.
Chapter Sixteen
Emmanuel was already speaking when we reached the huge pile of dry wood. “We will continue to celebrate Esbat, my friends, and we will take heart in our victories and the children we protect. Now is not the time for fear, now is the time for courage and faith.”
He nodded at Peter who lit the bonfire to the sound of Jabol playing the drums and the crowd cheering. Emmanuel flung his arms out wide, and the furze lamps burst into flames, surrounding us with light.
All around the field people tossed blankets and cushions onto the ground and began unpacking huge baskets of food and drink. I spotted Cat struggling to move one of the hampers and ran to help her.
“Hey.” I grabbed the other handle, and we heaved it onto the large striped rug.
“Thanks, Grace.” Cat pulled the lid open and unpacked. Cain was still standing by the bonfire, watching as Cat organized food for the kids. She looked up at me. “What?”
“Is he your boyfriend now?” I scrutinized her face.
She stared into the flames. “Maybe? I don’t know.” I lifted my eyebrows and Cat sat back on her heels. “I care about him, Grace. He’s kind and smart. And he loves Dawn. He’s like an uncle to Jasmine and Elijah. And Sam.”
I rolled my eyes and poked at my cuticles. Cat tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “Don’t judge Sam too harshly, Grace. He does care about you, even he doesn’t let it show. He hasn’t had it easy.”
I felt as if I had swallowed a pint of concrete as the guilt hardened in my stomach. Images of Cat’s and Sam’s scars were chased by the memory of Dawn’s seizures. Sam, Cat, Dawn, Cain, Eve. Everyone else had suffered because of their nature. I was the only one who remained untouched. The only one who had carried none of their share of the burden. I bit down on the pointless wave of self-loathing and looked around to make sure nobody was listening. “So, you like Cain enough not to sleep in your own bed last night?”
Cat covered her face with her hands, peeking out at me from between her fingers. “What are you talking about? I’m always awake before you guys.”
“Yeah, and I always have to make your bed because you’re too much of a short arse to straighten the covers on the top bunk. That bed was not slept in, lady,” I whispered.
“It wasn’t like that. We just talked all night.” Cat fanned her face with a napkin from the basket. “This is ridiculous. Why am I even explaining myself? I’m a twenty-five-year-old woman. A mother.” She covered her face. “But don’t tell Eve I didn’t come home.”
I grabbed the napkin and draped it over her head like a veil. “Eh, obviously not. Talking to Eve about anyone’s love life would be a fate worse than death.”
Cat snickered, and I pressed my forehead against hers. “I’m happy for you, Cat. Just be careful.”
She pulled back, squeezing my hand fiercely. “I will.”
I gave her my best attempt at a smile, ducking my head as Dawn attacked Cat from behind, and wrestled her onto the grass. Cain leaped across the field, joining in the action and gathering Cat and Dawn up in his arms like a grizzly bear. Elijah and Lucas spread a rug out on the grass a few feet away, and Jasmine and Lydia flopped onto it, hollering and laughing.
The warmth of the evening seemed to drain away as I watched everyone else. It felt like I was watching from behind glass. I was here, but not really.
My eyes caught Eve’s shadow as it disappeared into the trees and I crept away from the picnic area. I obviously wasn’t the only one who felt like an outsider. The light faded as I left the bonfire behind, following the trail by moonlight. My feet stumbled over a small rock hidden in the grass. I picked it and hurled it viciously into the wild tangle of gorse bushes to my right.
“If there’s a couple making out in there, then, you’ve probably committed manslaughter.” Sam was leaning against the base of the tree, blending into the night in his tight black t-shirt and dark jeans. He looked gorgeous. Perfectly imperfect. My stomach jumped, but I pressed my lips together and kept walking. He called after me, “Don’t want to knock me out tonight? Got all that tension out of your system?”
I spun around, and my fingernails cut into my palms as I advanced on him. Sam’s hair fell in damp waves onto his forehead. He smelled like the sea. I wondered if his lips would taste like the ocean. “That wasn’t tension, Samuel, that was anger. Why won’t you leave me alone? You don’t want me around, so keep away from me, stop picking a fight every time you see me. I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
Sam’s eyes blazed and he tensed his shoulders, every muscle clearly defined under the thin cotton shirt. “You’re mad at me because you know I was right. You aren’t ready for these people, Grace. You shouldn’t be here. You and Eve should go. You could have a life away from this world.”
I planted my feet, facing him square on. He moved closer until his body was only inches away from mine. The air between us was alive with static energy. “I don’t care if you don’t want me here, Sam. It’s none of your business what I do.”
“It’s my business if you’re going to get yourself hurt.” He didn’t blink, jaw tight, dark brows drawn together.
I dropped my chin, not able to meet his eye. My throat felt swollen and raw. “You asked me on that date. I was happy being friends, study partners. You were the one who wanted something more. I waited all day at that stupid library, Sam. You stood me up. If you changed your mind, decided you had a thing for Megan, all you had to do was tell me. I’m a big girl. We could still have been friends. You just cut me out. Why did you do that?”
He stepped backward, his eyes alive. I waited for another moment, every fiber of my body willing him to speak, before I turned away from his silence and fled back toward the bonfire.
Chapter Seventeen
Elijah waved me over to the blanket where Lucas and Jasmine were sitting. Frank and Lydia were lying down, looking up at the stars a
s they talked, their fingers entwined. I kneeled, trying to figure out the best way to sit on the rug without flashing my underwear.
Elijah shrugged off his jacket and threw it over my lap. “I’m too warm anyway.” I looked at his bare arms. Goosebumps were already forming on his golden skin. I tried to hand it back to him, but he was insistent. “Take it.”
Elijah pressed the jacket down over my legs as he spoke and I tried not to move, startled by the warmth of his hands through the thin fabric. He jumped up. “Lucas, help me get some food for everyone.”
Lucas got to his feet, grumbling about sexism and male slavery. Frank and Lydia didn’t even notice them go. Jasmine wiggled closer and nestled against my side. She nodded to the other end of the rug and wrapped a piece of her hair around her finger. Her tone was wistful. “They’ve forgotten we exist.”
I stiffened as Megan’s posse arrived and settled themselves on a nearby picnic blanket. She turned away from us and pulled her glossy mane over her shoulder. Even her back was perfect. Jose, one of the other senior students, gave an enormous goofy wave in our direction before flinging himself down face first beside her.
Lucas and Elijah came hurtling back. Lucas threw his haul into the center of the blanket first, roaring in victory. He pointed his finger at an oblivious Lydia. “Yes, still the champ. Yah!”
Elijah dropped onto the blanket beside us, laughing. “Man, you’re a psychopath.” He squinted across the field and waved a bread roll in the air. “Sam, you want some food?”
I stared into the fire as Sam made his way over. Elijah moved over on the blanket until he was resting against my shoulder, making room for Sam to sit down. I could feel Sam’s eyes on me, but I kept my focus on the flames, determined not to be controlled by the pounding in my chest.
“No thanks, man. Later.” Sam sat down on Megan’s blanket, and she looked over her shoulder at us, the ghost of a smirk on her pink lips.
Lydia sat up. “What the hell? I thought he was done hooking up with Satanic Barbie?”
The Demon-Born Trilogy: (Complete Paranormal Fantasy Series) Page 9