The Shadow Children (The Demon-Born Trilogy Book 1)

by L. C. Hibbett

  “We haven’t tried a small island before, Cat. The water being so close on all sides, maybe the Spirit Demons won’t be able to reach us. There are no Angels there, Eve is almost certain. They won’t sense the magic from the mainland. Anyway, if this binding has worked we might not even have to leave.”

  Cat squeezed my hand. “Five bands, Grace. She’s gone through five bindings. She’s only ten years old. And it’s still not working.”

  I swiveled in my seat to face her. “So we break the binding. All of us together. We make a charm cone that will cover the whole island, with the water and the barrier— we could to be safe. We will be safe.”

  The car bumped over the sea bridge that brought us over the bay and onto the pier. Cat swung the Mini through a wrought iron gate outside the village hall, and drove all the way to the yard at the rear of the building. It was deserted, everyone else had parked out front. She pulled up the handbrake, and I closed my window.

  “Safe,” Cat echoed my words. I watched her take the keys out of the ignition. My throat felt tight. Her lovely heart shaped face could have belonged to a girl my age, but her eyes looked tired. Weary. “Maybe we’ll be safe. Maybe. But we’re going to be prisoners on that island, Grace.”

  She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and her forefinger. “And Dawn might still be sick. Containing that magic is poisoning her, who knows what damage it has done.”

  “Then unbind everyone now, Cat, no more waiting. I hate that she’s suffering. It’s not fair. We could even try to create a cone here, in Ireland. If all four of us were unbound then we might be able to cover the whole west coast. Dawn could go to regular school, and you could work. We wouldn’t even have to leave Westport. We could stay in the cottage.”

  I knew that it was a ridiculous suggestion. Every city in Ireland was littered with Angels. If we tried to extend the barrier beyond the ground of Hidden Cottage, somebody would sense it. We wouldn’t last a day before the Guardians hunted us down. Our lives here were over, every borrowed hour had been exhausted.

  Cat was kind enough not to hammer the point home, kissing my cheek before she got out of the car. I flopped back against the seat and watched her walk around the side of the building, craning my neck to see who was already there.

  My friend Brandon had cornered our Math tutor, Cain, and was waving a piece of paper in front of his face. It was probably a postgraduate level calculus assignment. Brandon was one of the first friends I had made at the study group. Him and Sam. Brandon was a genius, with a tongue as sharp as his brain. His parents owned a huge technology business in California, but they had relocated to Ireland to make the most of the tax breaks. Brandon wasn’t impressed with the move. He said he missed the sunshine almost as much as he missed his grandmother.

  I felt a tingle at the base of my skull, suddenly aware of how exposed I was in the empty yard. I scanned the perimeter. Nothing moved along the tree lined back fence. I jumped out of the car and slammed the door shut behind me. The wind was the only sound as I crossed the cracked concrete, making my way towards the side of the building where I could see my friend Jasmine standing.

  I knew that if I had the nerve to look back that there would be no one there. But I still couldn’t shake the feeling I was being watched.

  Chapter Three

  My stomach gnawed at itself as I approached the other students. Jasmine and Elijah were talking to Brandon, but the only route to reach them would involve walking through a bunch of surly looking fifth year girls. It would also mean having to be within four feet of Megan. I embraced temporary solitude and took out my phone, pretending to send a message.

  I leaned against the whitewashed wall of the squat, sturdy building. The village hall had been built decades ago, designed to withstand the relentless wind and rain that drove in from the Atlantic Ocean. It was rarely used now, except by our weekly study group and the local knitting club. A relic of days gone by. The sailing club next door rose up in stark contrast, a vision in concrete and glass. I could just about make out the sailing school on the island across the bay.

  Two teenage boys were lounging on the pier, beside a gleaming Range Rover and watching us with undisguised curiosity. I dropped my gaze, stabbing at the screen. Too late. One of them was already coming over.

  “Hey.” His blonde hair was tousled by the wind blowing at his back. I nodded and gave him a half smile, looking back down at my phone. I could see people around us had noticed his presence.

  Jasmine and Elijah were sitting on the low wall with Brandon, who was still examining his piece of paper. Megan was standing in front, holding court. The stranger shifted to his left, blocking my view. He smiled at me.

  “Hey.” I returned his greeting, uncertain of the social rules in this situation.

  His grin broadened. “We were just wondering what you guys do here every week? Is it a prayer group or something?”

  I focused on his body language, shooting a glance at his friend waiting beside the car. He appeared sincere, but I had seen enough teenage movies to know that he might be about to empty a bucket of slime in my face. “It’s a study group for kids that aren’t at regular school, because they’re home schooled or whatever.”

  He looked around at the small crowd, it was mostly teenagers, but there were a few younger children. Dawn used to come every week, but not lately. “You guys all got expelled from school? Or your parents are hippies or something?”

  I lifted a hand to my mouth. “Some people have parents that travel around a lot for business, so this works better.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Not everyone wants to go to school.”

  Because their binding might fail, and an Angel might sense their magic and report them to the Guardians. If the Spirit Demons didn’t find them first. I was tempted to drop the truth on him, just for kicks, but I resisted. Instead, I tipped my head towards the wall. “A few people from Shadow Hall come here too, if they hadn’t finished high school already.”

  His expression sharpened at the mention of Shadow Hall, an international training center for elite gymnasts. As if on cue, Megan executed a flawless double layout across the lawn. She flashed a smile in our direction and flicked her platinum braid over her shoulder before sauntering back towards Elijah. I ground my teeth together and wished she would catch her foot on a clump of weeds.

  “What about you, are you at Shadow Hall? You don’t have an accent,” he said.

  I pretended to check my phone again. Talking about myself was not safe territory. “No. I’m not an athlete, or anything. I live here. In Westport.”

  The tutors moved inside, followed reluctantly by the students. Jasmine smiled at me as she passed and Elijah pointed to the door. “You rolling, Grace?” Elijah’s voice was solid gold, all New York attitude and charm.

  “Well, my group is starting. I better go.” I raised my palm as a goodbye and stepped towards the doorway, but the stranger slithered in front of me and put his hand against the wall, blocking my path.

  “I never even got your name. I’m Donal.”

  I strained to see past him. Only Megan was left, standing on the step with pinched lips. “Okay, Donal. I really do have to go, Leaving Cert tomorrow and all that.”

  I bent down to duck under his arm, but he lowered his hand so it caught me around the waist. His fingertips brushed the bare skin between my top and my jeans. I felt a stab of irritation spear my abdomen.

  His friend gave a slow whistle, and Donal snatched his hand back as if he had been burned, his eyes focused on a point behind me.

  “She said she was going inside.” It was Sam. If Elijah’s voice was attitude and charm, then his best friend’s was steel and dark water.

  “Listen, man, I was just introducing myself.” Donal held his hands up as he stepped away, not even glancing in my direction before skittering back to his friend. Sam watched him leave, his green eyes hard.

  “Thanks. I was fine, though.” I fiddled with the tab on my notes. Sam looked at me for a moment and then
stepped around me without a word.

  Megan tilted her head to the side. “Don’t be embarrassed, Grace. Some jerks just like an easy target.”

  I felt the blood rushing to my face, aware of the agonizing seconds ticking by while I stood there mute. Megan gave me a pitying smile and walked inside, taking Sam with her. I looked over my shoulder. Donal and his friend were still there. The other guy waved and winked. Donal didn’t meet my eye.

  I squeezed my folder against my chest and followed Megan and Sam inside.

  Chapter Four

  Rosmoney village hall was a small building. The walls were thick and uneven, and the floor was covered with dark blue linoleum that had bubbled underneath the radiators. Everything about the building was well worn and tired. Hinges squealed as I pushed the door open, drawing attention to my tardiness. Megan smirked, twisting a long lock of silky blond hair around her hand.

  I slid into the empty seat beside Jasmine. Her notes were organized in a color-coded pile on the desk. I opened my own carefully indexed work and returned Jasmine’s smile. Jasmine and I had bonded over our shared love of stationary and study plans, a fact Elijah liked to tease us about at least twice every session.

  My eyes roamed over the rest of the group table. Elijah had a dog-eared notebook in front of him. He tapped Jasmine on the shoulder, making a writing gesture in the air. She threw a pen at him, shaking her head and pushing her glasses up on her nose. Jasmine and Elijah shared the same dark coloring, but Jasmine’s eyes were slightly lighter than her brothers, more hazel than brown.

  Brandon was wrestling with his battered laptop. He had told me once that he had built it himself. I don’t think he was joking. The table in front of Sam was entirely bare, as usual.

  Cain sat at the head of the table and rested his elbows on the scuffed wood. “Grace, we’re looking at Sample Paper 2 H.”

  I opened the paper, and half listened to Cain run through the questions. Normally I enjoyed Cain’s lessons, but I had revised that sample paper with Eve the night before. Eve liked to make sure we were keeping up with our lessons. Anything less than perfection wasn’t an option.

  A group of girls at the fifth year table caught my attention. They were whispering and giggling, staring over at Cain. The consensus was that our Math tutor was the hottest property this side of the Atlantic. He was cute if that clean cut, Scandinavian look was your thing.

  My gaze slid across the table towards Sam. He was staring out the window, jaw set, arms crossed. His brown hair fell forward in tousled waves and cast a shadow over his long dark lashes and full mouth. His nose was bent at the bridge as if it had been broken and healed poorly.

  When the kids from Shadow Hall had first joined the group, Sam and I had been assigned as study partners. It worked. We both liked to read, both liked to win. We got on great. Better than great. I used to sit with Brandon and Sam after every session, while Cain and Cat helped the other tutors plan the following week’s lessons. We talked about everything. Movies, books, music. Life. We were close, at least, I thought we were. Until the day he asked to swap partners to be with Megan, and started going straight back to Shadow Hall with her instead of waiting with me and Brandon. Friendship terminated.

  Sam turned his head, catching me staring at him. His eyes were gray in this light. Hard as stone. I dropped my gaze to the paper in front of me and prayed that he couldn’t see the pulse beating against my throat. I didn’t look up again until Cain said the session was over.

  Elijah bounced out of his seat, pushing his hand at me for a fist pump. “Freedom, baby.”

  I tapped my fist against his, laughing at my own awkwardness. Jasmine punched him on the shoulder. “What is wrong with your head, Eli? Freedom is when the exams are finished, you dumbass.”

  Elijah tousled Jasmine’s hair. “You have done enough work for both of us, little sister.” He nudged Brandon, grinning. “What we need to do now, is talk to this gentleman about the party to end all parties. Am I right?”

  Jasmine linked my arm. “I’m dreading tomorrow. Week of doom.” She scrunched up her face in mock terror. I grinned. She pulled at my shirt. “And you’ve been thinking about clothes for Brandon’s party, right? Lucas helped me find an incredible outfit. Vintage punk.”

  I mumbled something noncommittal, not wanting to tell an outright lie. Mary, the science tutor, tapped me on the shoulder. “Grace, Catherine had to leave to give your mammy a hand with something. She didn’t want to disturb your last session. Cain said he’d drop you home, okay?”

  I blinked, feeling like I had swallowed a bucket of ice water. “Sure. Yeah, of course. Sure.” My mind seized up, thoughts moving in jagged bursts. This was bad.

  Jasmine bumped me with her shoulder. “That’s cool, I can’t wait to finally see where you live.”

  My tongue felt like sandpaper. “Yeah, great.”

  When we got outside, Cain was standing beside his SUV, talking to Megan in a hushed voice. I slid my phone out of my pocket. No messages, no missed calls.

  Brandon and Elijah were still talking party details. Sam was standing with them, his face turned toward the ocean. The sky was the color of burnt sugar.

  Megan raised her voice, catching everyone’s attention. She stabbed at Cain’s chest with an outstretched finger. “A goddamn waste of time, scribbling in books like a bunch of kids. I have important things I could be doing.”

  Sam walked over to Megan’s white Jeep. Elijah followed him and knocked on the hood. Elijah’s voice was tight. “Chill, Megan. Just get in your car. Talk about it later.”

  Megan threw him a poisonous glare. “You haven’t got a clue, Elijah. Just like your uncle.” She wrenched her car door open, looking from Jasmine to Elijah. “And you can both tell Peter I said that.”

  Brandon and I exchanged glances as he ducked into his own car. Shadow Hall drama. Awkward. Cain unlocked his SUV and myself and Jasmine climbed into the backseat. Elijah flicked through radio stations on the stereo as Cain reversed the car. I pulled my phone out again, checking my signal in case my messages weren’t coming through. Full strength.

  We had only traveled a few hundred meters up the coast road when Cain slammed on the brakes, swerving onto the grass verge. The door beside me jerked open. Sam bent into the car and looked at me expectantly. I scooted as far into the middle of the seat as I could, tilting my knees towards Jasmine.

  Cain’s knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel, pulling the car into the road again. “Sam, you’re meant to be traveling with Megan. Emmanuel is expecting you to arrive back together.”

  I knew from Jasmine and Elijah that Emmanuel was in charge at Shadow Hall. Sam held Cain’s stare in the rear view mirror until Cain looked away. Jasmine leaned forward and punched Elijah on the shoulder. “Eli, turn that dance crap off. Put on 103.1, they’re interviewing Tori Amos tonight.”

  Elijah and Jasmine started to squabble about who had worse taste in music. I battled the panic rising in my chest and forced myself to wait until we passed the golf course before turning my phone over in my hand to check the screen. Nothing. I bit down on the skin beside my thumbnail with enough pressure to break the skin.

  “Waiting for a message?” Sam’s body wasn’t touching mine, but it was close enough that the hairs on my arms stood to attention.

  I cleared my throat and trained my eyes on the front windshield. “I was just checking.”

  “Dawn is sick.” The low intensity of Sam’s voice ran over my skin like thick velvet. He wasn’t asking a question. My stomach twisted. The air inside the car was heavy with loaded silence. Even the noise of the radio seemed muted.

  “Cat said she has been having seizures?” Cain probed gently. The traffic lights were green at the bridge. I said a silent prayer there would be no traffic on Main Street. I needed to get home and out of this car.

  “Oh, no. Dawn’s fine. Mom has everything under control, it just takes a bit of time to get the medication right.”

  Jasmine smiled at me. “Awes
ome that your mom can help. Perks of having a doctor as a parent.”

  A doctor. It was almost funny. Almost. I stared at my knees, hoping that my silence would deflect Jasmine from delving any further into our flimsy back story. Doctor Mom and the happy half-sisters. Mom. The word stung like a nettle. Eve refused to let me call her Mom, even when I was a little girl.

  “Many doctors consider it unethical to treat their own family members,” Sam said.

  I studied my fingernails intently, pretending not to notice the murderous look Cain was giving Sam. The pressure in my chest eased as we made our way along the quay. “Cain, just leave me at The Snug. It’s the pub just around the first bend here.”

  Cain drove past the white building at a crawl, ignoring my request. “Just tell me where to turn in for your house.”

  I ground the heel of my hand against my right temple and tried to think of a credible reason why Cain shouldn’t drop me to my door, but my brain was unresponsive. “Take the next left. It’s the first right turn off the lane.”

  My eyes scanned the garden as the tires rumbled over the cattle grid. Jasmine squinted at the wrought iron sign on the gatepost, almost entirely covered by creepers and moss. “Hidden Cottage. Cool name.”

  The front window where Eve often stood guard was empty. I unbuckled my safety belt, leaning over Jasmine to unlock her door before Cain had even cut the engine. “Thanks a million, Cain. See you at the exam center in the morning, guys. Night.”

  I rattled off the niceties, desperate to get inside the front door. Sam popped his door open, standing out onto the gravel. I pretended I hadn’t seen him, scrambling over Jasmine’s lap and out the other side of the car. My nerves were too thinly stretched to handle the risk of falling at his feet.

  I bounded up the steps, wriggling my key into the lock. Sam was still leaning against the SUV when I twisted the brass doorknob, his eyes narrowed against the dying sun. I pushed open the door with jittery fingers, telling myself there was no reason to be afraid.