by Cameo Renae
“Well, good. Nico owes me for making me walk back to the dorms alone at midnight.”
“Did you tell him you were joking?” Kimi asked.
“Nope,” Sebastian replied.
Kimi smacked him on the shoulder. “You’re horrible.”
He shrugged. “Payback’s a bitch.”
“Wait…what? Why am I the last to hear about a beast trying to eat you?” Trissa huffed, her eyes wide on me.
“It wasn’t a beast. It was dark, and I didn’t really see what it was. It ran away when Bob shined a light in my direction.”
“Did you get busted?” she asked.
“No. Just a warning.”
“Lucky. Did you get out of any classes?” Trissa asked, gesturing to my ankle as she sat on the edge of my bed.
“Two days.”
“Your foot is supposed to be elevated above your heart,” Kimi noted, bustling about, propping my leg up on a few of my throw pillows. “There. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I’m lucky to have you guys.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be icing it too?” Trissa added.
“I did. There should be a melted pack somewhere around here. The second one is on my nightstand. I’ll put it on in about twenty minutes.”
I heard my bag buzzing, so I leaned over and picked it up. Grabbing my cell phone, I checked it. There were a few texts, but there was a new number that didn’t have a name. I clicked on it.
Hope you’re resting.
“Why are you full-on smiling at your phone?” Sebastian asked, practically shoving my body over so he could lay his large frame next to mine.
“You’re crowding me,” I groaned, trying to push him away, but he didn’t budge.
“You love it.” He put his arm around me, and snuggled close to rub his stubble on my cheek.
“Sebastian, stop!” I squealed.
“Not until you show me who texted you.”
“No,” I said, holding the phone away from him.
“Show me,” he said raising his fingers up in the air and wiggling them.
“Uh-oh. The tickle monster.” Kimi laughed, plopping down at the foot of my bed.
“You guys realize I’m injured, right?” I pointed to my ankle.
“And?” Sebastian ghosted his fingers over my side. “Show us who texted you.”
“It’s none of your business!” I scrunched up my side in anticipation.
“Show us,” Trissa said, leaning over him, trying to grab my phone.
“You guys, her ankle!” Kimi scolded.
“We’re not near her ankle.” Sebastian pressed his fingers to my side.
I screamed and kicked. Excruciating pain shot through my ankle, making me drop my phone and do a crunch to hold it.
“Oh my God. Are you okay?” Sebastian gasped, pulling away.
“Sebastian, you butthead!” Trissa slapped his back.
Kimi pulled his arm. “Get away from her.”
“I’m fine,” I lied, laughing while in pain.
“See? She said she’s fine.” He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek, before rolling off the bed taking Kimi and Trissa with him. It was an all-out tickle fest. I belly laughed as they screamed and rolled on the floor.
After a few minutes, Kimi and Trissa gave up. Sebastian was always the winner of tickle fights. They all laid on the ground, huffing and puffing.
“I think we need to leave Eden alone so she can rest,” Kimi finally said.
“Yeah,” Sebastian exhaled, then twisted his head to face me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I gave him a thumbs-up. “I’m good.”
“Oh,” Sebastian added. “Tell Alex we’ll see him at breakfast tomorrow.”
“What?” I squeaked.
“It’s totally obvious who texted you. You had the same love-struck face you had when he walked in the door.”
“I did not have a face.”
“Yeah, you did,” Trissa admitted, giggling.
“Who knows?” Kimi chimed in. “Maybe you’ll finally find your prince charming after all?”
“Don’t go talking about princes. We don’t even know him. For all we know, he could be an egotistical ass like all the rest.”
Trissa shrugged. “I don’t get that vibe from him. Besides, he goes to this school now. You have two weeks to get to know him.”
Sebastian jumped to his feet. “Especially once you’re pinned against him for hours in the back of my car. Seattle, baby!” he cheered, throwing a fist in the air.
“Hey, stay off that foot. You need to be good for dress shopping,” Trissa added.
“I will,” I promised.
“Did anyone tell the dorm mistress about the trip?” Kimi asked.
“I did,” Trissa noted. “Miss Westbrook is cool with it.”
Each of them came and hugged me goodbye. Sebastian leaned over and rubbed his stubble on my cheek, making me scream.
“See? I can still make the girls scream.” He winked, kissing my cheek. “I’m sorry about your foot,” he said softly. “If you need anything at all, text one of the girls, ‘cause I’ll be napping.”
“Thanks,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Yes, call us. And stay off that foot!” Trissa demanded, and Kimi agreed.
“I will. Thanks. You guys are the best.”
As soon as they left, and the door clicked shut, I adjusted my foot on the pillows, picked up my phone, and laid back. After inputting Alex’s name and number into my contacts, I texted him back.
Alex: Hope you’re resting.
I smiled.
Me: Trying to. The three amigos just left.
I held the phone in my hand for a few minutes, thinking he might have gone to sleep. Right before I set it down, it buzzed.
Alex: Sorry. Just got out of the shower. It’s good to have friends to check on you.
Alex…getting out of the shower. A picture instantly formed in my mind. Wet, unruly hair, skin glistening, highlighting his muscular frame. A towel wrapped around his midsection…or not.
I blew out a breath, starting to feel heated when another text came through.
Alex: Question: what do students do here for dinner?
Me: Cafeteria at six. Or, you can go off campus if you have a car.
Alex: I guess it’s cafeteria food. Want me to bring you something?
How sweet. He was thinking of me.
Me: I’m fine. I have a protein bar. I’ll probably take a shower, pop my meds, and get some sleep.
Alex: If you get hungry…text me. I’ll let you know what’s on the menu.
Me: It’s meatloaf Monday. I’ll pass. Thanks.
Alex: Should I be passing too?
Me: No, it’s really good.
Alex: All right. If you can’t sleep, feel free to text me. I don’t get much sleep anyway.
Me: Insomnia?
Alex: Yep.
Me: I have it too. The invitation is open on my end as well.
Alex: Thanks.
Me: Have fun at dinner.
Alex: I’ll try. Rest. You’ll feel better in the morning.
Me: I hope so. And thanks again for everything today.
Alex: It was my pleasure. Goodnight, Eden.
Me: Goodnight, Alex.
I held the phone to my chest. That was the nicest, most normal text conversation I’d ever had with a boy.
I rewrapped my ankle, elevating it with the pillows, and placed the last ice pack on it. It was even more swollen, and the slight discoloration had turned to a dark plum, almost blackish color.
I swallowed the pills the nurse gave me and laid down. My body was tired, but my mind was buzzing. I ch
ecked my phone and there were no notifications. As I lay there, my mind began running through the events of the past few days.
The monster. My mind couldn’t let it go. I shut my eyes, and it was there. I opened them, and thoughts of it were still there, lingering.
I pulled my laptop from my nightstand and opened it up. I wasn’t even sure what I was looking for, so I typed the word monster in. The lists were overwhelming, and as I clicked from site to site, I saw nothing that resembled the creature I saw.
Next, I searched for demon. I was a bit afraid to read about them. I’d seen the documentaries of what religious people thought demons did to certain people. So, I quickly skimmed through the names and descriptions of each one—still not satisfied that what I saw had been a demon.
After hours of searching, I gave up and shut my laptop, setting it on the nightstand. It couldn’t have been a figment of my imagination, could it? Did I actually see the creature, or had I been hallucinating? My mind was at war with itself, driving me to the point of madness. Was I becoming delusional?
I needed to sleep. Maybe all this was happening from my lack of sleep in the past few months. I needed to shut my brain down and not think about anything. Like how I did last night. I don’t even remember falling asleep. All I remember was that the room smelled like…Alex.
I was definitely losing my mind.
I grabbed my phone and wondered if I should text him.
Me: Did you get to eat?
My finger hovered over the send button, unsure of whether I should send it or not. I took in a deep breath and pressed it.
Alex: I did. And you were right. The meatloaf was pretty good.
I didn’t realize the large smile on my face until I relaxed.
Me: How did you like your first day at Brindle Hall?
Alex: It was good. You made it eventful.
Me: Glad I could be of service.
Alex: You should be sleeping. The more rest you get, the faster you’ll heal.
Me: Can’t. My brain won’t shut off.
Alex: I took a class in hypnotism and how to put people to sleep. Want me to try it on you?
Me: In a text message?
Alex: No. I’ll call you.
Me: Is it safe?
Alex: Completely. But you’ll have to trust me.
It was weird, but I felt like I could trust him. And hey, I was game for just about anything, if it meant I could sleep peacefully.
Me: I trust you.
My phone rang and my heart rate spiked.
“Hello?”
“Hey.” The sound of his rich voice made butterflies flutter inside my stomach. “How’s your ankle?”
“Swollen.”
“There was a rumor going on at dinner that you could have broken the school record for the two miles, but fell on your last lap.”
I sighed. “The rumors are true.”
“Was there a reason why you fell?”
“It’s complicated. Besides, I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
I paused, wondering if I should tell him. Would he think I was a raving lunatic?
I guess it didn’t matter. If he was going to be a friend, I should start off by being truthful to him. He’d probably dismiss it and laugh it off, like Sebastian and Kimi did at lunch.
“I thought I saw something in the woods and it scared me,” I admitted. Saying it to him seemed different than telling Sebastian and Kimi.
“Was it an animal?”
“I don’t know what it was. I smelled it first, and then. . . ” It was hard to explain to him how terrified I was, without telling him about the night before.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. I’m not even sure if what I saw was real, or if I was hallucinating.”
“Discussing it with someone might help you better understand what you saw. Keeping it to yourself could result in you feeling like you’re going mad.”
He hit the nail on the head. I felt like I was going mad.
“I told Sebastian and Kimi about it at lunch, but they thought I dreamed it up.”
“Is that what you think? That you dreamed it up?”
“No,” I said honestly. “It was too real to be a dream.”
“Then, go with that. I know it’s probably hard for you to talk about it tonight, so you should get some sleep. If you decide you want to share it with me later, I’ll be here.”
“How can you be in high school? You seem way too mature.”
“I’ve just been through a lot in my life. My upbringing was rigorous and orderly, and I had to learn a lot on my own.”
“I can tell.”
“So, Eden East. Would you like me to put my over-the-phone hypnotic skills to the test?”
“I would. It won’t hurt, will it?”
“You won’t feel a thing.”
“Cool.” I turned off my lamp and snuggled deep into my covers, resting my eyes. Then they snapped open. “Wait, I won’t start clucking like a chicken, or do some crazy things when someone coughs, will I?”
“You won’t be any crazier than you already are.” He chuckled.
“Hey! Not cool.” I laughed. “So, what do I need to do?”
“Make sure you’re comfortable and turn off your alarm if you have one.”
“I totally forgot about my alarm.” I leaned over and turned it off. I adjusted my leg and my pillows once again, then laid back.
“All right. I’m ready.”
“Are your eyes closed?”
“They are.”
He paused for a moment then whispered, “Sleep, Eden East.”
As he said the words, my head became numb and tingly, and my entire body relaxed. It felt as if I were being levitated off the bed and was floating on air. My body felt light, and my ankle was free from pain.
He was magical, and I wanted to tell him. But my mouth was unable to move.
“Alex.” His name exited my lips with a breath before the world around me faded away.
Chapter 12
Alex
I could tell Eden was sound asleep by the heavy, measured breaths on the other end of the phone. I smiled, knowing she could sleep and heal. Pressing a button, I ended the call.
“Hypnotherapy.” I laughed out loud. Hey, it was a good cover.
I couldn’t tell her about the sleeper. It was magic used by us angels, mostly to put mortals asleep when they were about to see our hidden world—secrets about our existence we’d kept throughout the centuries.
As it got closer to her birthday, and more changes began to manifest, I knew I’d have to talk to her.
It was a touchy situation, especially with her boarding at a high school with hundreds of students around. Trying to keep her identity secret once she transformed would be the hardest part. Thank God, there was only one day between her transformation and graduation.
She’d want to know what was happening to her. And I was given the task to disclose to her that her father was an angel, who left her mother after conception. That’s what usually happened when angels would get attached to mortals while on assignments, maybe even feel a deep affection. It happened from time to time, especially when Guardians were visible. Mortals couldn’t help but be attracted to them. It was part of the magical charm, the alluring qualities of angelic beings.
Affections sometimes turned physical, and the Guardian would have to leave, knowing they broke the law which stated angels were to mate solely with other purebloods. Mating with mortals was forbidden, and cause for execution.
Speaking of which, I had to find out who Eden’s father was. He could have been Angel or Fallen; his mark would be on
the back of her neck.
Those of pure blood would possess their marking behind their right ear.
I hadn’t had the chance to see her mark. Her hair usually coverd it, and in the nurse’s office, I couldn’t see it from the way she was positioned from me.
I was glad she would be off for the next few days, ordered to stay in her room. However, I knew she’d probably heal at a rate much faster than expected. In a few days, she could possibly be back on her feet, with no signs of injury.
Once I knew Eden was sound asleep, I headed out to the roof. From the towers, I could easily see the entire grounds. I’d also be able to spot Fallen in the sky, if it ever came to that.
From now on, there would be no resting for me. Danger surrounded us, and I had to keep my guard up.
As I climbed the stairwell to one of the towers, I found Isaac at the top, looking out toward the backfield. It had rained the entire afternoon, and now, nearly at midnight, there was a break in the clouds.