The Girl and The Raven

by Pauline Gruber

  “She’s used to being the center of attention and now you’ve come along, the new girl. She feels threatened.” Cloe smiles. “You’re getting to her and I, for one, love it.”

  Threatened? Try having a demon break into your house. Ella has no idea what it feels like to be threatened.

  I take a deep breath as the sun warms my skin. I start to relax. The three of us pause to watch a girl’s volleyball game up ahead.

  “Wow. They’re amazing,” I say, watching the powerful volleys move back and forth over the net.

  “Yeah, I stink at volleyball.” Katie shields her eyes with her hand. “I’m usually the one cowering, praying that no one sends the ball my way.”

  “Hey, Caroline and Ella,” I call ahead. “How about here? We can watch the game.”

  Ella stops and pivots. Caroline and Suzy stop with her. “Well…since I’m not a lesbo, I’d much rather go further down and watch the guys play.” She turns her back on me and continues down the beach.

  “Really? Are you kidding me?” I look from Katie to Cloe. This day is turning out to suck.

  Katie touches my arm, her eyes pleading. “Just ignore her. She’s not normally this awful. I swear.”

  I trudge forward, biting my tongue. What was it Gram always said? If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. Then I think of Momma, who swore constantly. It was embarrassing and I vowed never to be like her. And yet, right now every filthy word I’ve ever heard races through my head, ready to be spewed at Ella. I stare at the back of her head, fury boiling inside of me. I can’t help but replay her words and nasty looks over and over in my head. Ella is exactly like the girls in Lexington. Trailer Park Lucy, they called me.

  I had hoped things would be different here.

  I narrow my gaze at Ella, her flaming red hair. Flaming. Suddenly, my hands twitch as heat races to my fingertips. Oh God. Not now. The urge is so strong. I use all my strength to force it down, but it bucks up. I close my eyes and focus, trying to reign it in. Suddenly Ella screams. Terrified I set her on fire, I check my hands. No flames. I look at Ella holding her head, a red mark, swelling, on the side of her face. I follow Suzie’s gaze to the volleyball lying on the ground next to her.

  “Oh my God!” Caroline grabs her arm. “Are you okay?”

  Katie races ahead to check on Ella. By the time Cloe and I reach the group, Ella is wiping tears off of her flushed cheeks. She orders us to continue on.

  “Where did that ball come from?” Cloe asks, looking behind us.

  The girl’s volleyball game continues uninterrupted, their ball still in play. I look around, but there are no other volleyball games going on nearby. No one runs toward us, full of apology and looking for their ball.

  An uneasy feeling spreads through me. I exhale slowly and focus on the sand as we move farther down the beach.

  We finally come to a spot that meets with Ella’s approval and spread out our towels. Actually, it goes something like this.

  “Oh…My…God…! Total Hottie Alert!”

  Ella and Caroline stop all of a sudden. Katie and I give each other a dramatic eye roll over Ella’s cheesy Valley Girl accent before turning to see what caught her attention. Twelve shirtless male bodies. Tanned and glistening. Playing volleyball.

  “Whoa…” Suzy breathes.

  “I’ve never been a fan of volleyball until now…” Katie sighs.

  I stare, frozen to the spot. First Marcus and now this. Have I been wearing blinders all my life? Or are the guys in Chicago better looking? The smell of suntan lotion and lake water permeates the air. I can’t take my eyes off the boys’ taut stomachs, low rise board shorts, chiseled pecs and bulging biceps. They slam the ball at each other, grunting violently. I have to remind myself to breathe.

  There are six of them on each side of the net. They’re attacking the ball so viciously that when one guy is smacked in the face, I cover my mouth to keep from crying out. The injured player is quickly replaced with a substitute.

  “Dylan Douglas, you hot monster,” Caroline growls.

  Douglas? I look at Katie curiously.

  “Dylan’s the guy that just took out half that other guy’s face. The guy Caroline and Ella were drooling about…I mean talking about...at the mall yesterday.” She turns back to the game. “He’s super popular. He’s insanely competitive. And he was voted MVP of the sophomore football team last year.”

  A girl in a teeny bikini tends to the injured player on the sidelines with a bag of ice. He seems okay, aside from the red welt on his face.

  I glance over my shoulder at Ella, about to suggest that we get some ice for her face, but she’s way too busy gawking at Dylan.

  I shield my eyes in order to study Dylan. He’s heavily muscled with broad shoulders. Clearly, he spends a lot of time in the gym. I grimace as he plays it up for his new audience. He runs his fingers through his spiky brown hair. Caroline and Ella sigh in unison. Please tell me he’s not related to Mr. Douglas.

  I lean over and whisper to Katie. “I may have landed a nanny job. The guy’s name is Pierce Douglas. I’m sure it’s no relation…”

  Katie whips her head around, her eyes wide. “Are you freaking kidding me? That’s Dylan’s dad!”

  “Shhhh!” I slap my hand over her mouth and look over my shoulder at Ella and Caroline. They’re busy removing their t-shirts and shorts. Their bikinis—Ella’s a turquoise blue and Caroline’s a tangerine color—leave nothing to the imagination. Worse still, they both have the curves to pull them off.

  “What’re you guys talking about?” Suzy leans in from Katie’s other side.

  “Lucy landed a nanny job with Dylan’s dad,” Katie whispers excitedly. “Watching his brother and sister.”

  “Seriously?” Suzy laughs. “That’s awesome. Wait ‘til Ella and Caroline hear about it.”

  “They’re not going to hear anything!” I hiss.

  “Hear what?” Cloe sits up beside me, yawning.

  “I thought you were going to take a nap.” I frown.

  “Can’t.” She jerks her thumb toward Ella and Caroline. “Not with the drama queens next to me.”

  My stomach churns miserably as I watch Caroline and Ella make a big show of rubbing suntan lotion all over each other. Their motivation is clear. The volleyball game is over and the guys are making their way over to us.

  “Hey girls!” Dylan stops in front of Caroline and Ella’s beach towels, four of his friends in tow.

  Ella adjusts the strap on her bathing suit. She stares at him boldly, a slow smile spreading across her face. “Great game, Dylan. I’m impressed.”

  “Thanks Ella.” He glances at the rest of us dismissively before moving his attention to Caroline. “How’s it going, Caroline?”

  “Peachy.” She fixes him with her million-dollar smile. “Is it true you and Rachel are on the splits?”

  Dylan chuckles. He shakes his head and flashes a killer smile. I wonder if he and Caroline go to the same orthodontist. “Damn, the rumor mill’s hard at work again. All I’m saying for now is we’ve hit a rough patch, but we’re trying to work it out.”

  “Don’t work too hard,” Ella purrs.

  Dylan and his friends laugh.

  “Are you getting something to drink?” Ella stands with an exaggerated stretch that nearly causes her boobs to pop out of her top. “I’ll join you. I’m seriously dehydrated.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Caroline rises to her feet. She bends over to grab her purse, deliberately giving the boys a grand view of her cheeks as her bikini bottom rides up her perfectly round butt.

  As all seven of them walk away, Dylan throws an arm around each of the girls and they laugh at something he says. I know it shouldn’t matter. Who cares about Dylan Douglas anyway? But my eyes and cheeks burn as I look down at my pale, thin body and realize that leaving Lexington didn’t change anything. I wasn’t good enough there and I’m not good enough here.

  Chapter Eleven

  -Henry Klein-

  I sto
p pacing and scoop up the phone on the first ring. I don’t have to check caller ID to know it’s Persephone.

  “They’ve had contact,” I tell her. “Lucy’s vibrating.” Shoving the receiver between my ear and shoulder, I walk to the window, ignoring the straining phone cord. I find the perfect spot. Sunshine washes over me. “But she didn’t mention it to me. Why?”

  “He bumped into her at the airport. She told me about it.” Persephone sighs. “That’s all he needed to confirm her identity.”

  “It was low level…” I close my eyes, wishing I could enjoy the sun’s warmth. I can’t. Jude’s found her. “So…now what?”

  “Lucy has to contact him.”

  I pop my eyes open. “But—”

  “If we don’t get Lola soon, she’ll be dead and Jude will have her powers. We need to get inside his house. Lucy is our only hope.”

  “I’ll go with her. Shift and sneak in behind her.”

  “You can’t go. Those blasted dogs will make you their next meal,” Persephone says. “I don’t want to send her in alone either, but it’s the only way. Lola has to be saved…for Lucy’s sake.”

  “I thought they would’ve had more contact by now. I’m surprised by his restraint,” she adds.

  Jude is exercising unbelievable restraint. It doesn’t make sense. Unless he has been visiting her under the cover of darkness.

  I loosen the knot on my tie. I need to get outside, to breathe fresh air. “I don’t understand his point in killing the raven. Lucy will only hate him for it.”

  “We need to keep a close eye on our girl, Henry. We’re going against everything Vera believed. Let’s hope we’re not making a horrible mistake.”

  Chapter Twelve

  I spin slowly, taking in the cascades of twirling purple, pink and white streamers decorating the living room. My uncles promised to make my sixteenth birthday special. The party hasn’t even started yet and already it ranks as one of the best. I can’t stop smiling. This is all for me. My nerves twitch and jump and I’m not sure if it’s the excitement of my first real birthday party or that Marcus is coming over soon.

  So far I’ve resisted the urge to peek at the cake in the fridge. It sure beats Momma coming home with a Twinkie and sticking a candle in the middle before passing out on the couch. By the time Sheldon steps down from the chair, the Happy Birthday sign hung, the doorbell rings.

  “It’s time girls.” Bernard smiles.

  Katie and I run off to my bedroom. We still need to change.

  I throw on my blue jean skirt and gray hankie hem top. Katie puts on a pair of blue jean shorts and layers a powder blue tank top over a white one. I poke my head out my door, listen for a moment, then shut it again.

  “It’s just their poker friends,” I tell Katie, wiping fake sweat from my brow. I hand her my favorite lip-gloss as I apply eye shadow. “You wouldn’t believe how much I had to fight my uncles for the nanny job.”

  “They didn’t like Dylan’s dad?”

  I frown at my reflection. “It was more than that. They didn’t think it was a good idea for me to have a fulltime job over the summer.” I stand up straight and mimic Sheldon’s voice. “A girl your age should be out having fun with her friends.”

  Katie giggles.

  I turn away from the mirror. “But I want to make my own money, build my savings so that I can buy a car. They finally caved after I convinced them I’ll pack in lots of fun over my weekends, including time with them.”

  “At least they tried to talk you out of it.” Katie’s shoulders droop. “My mom insists that I get a job the day I turn sixteen. Between homework and a job, I’ll have absolutely no life. And no time for a boyfriend.”

  I head to the dining room while Katie finishes getting ready. Bernard’s iPhone is docked in the stereo playing the special birthday mix he created for me. I allow the sound of Alicia Key’s voice to wash over me, to counter the nervousness churning inside of me. Maybe a birthday party wasn’t such a good idea after all. Dinner with Katie and my uncles sounds like a really good idea right now.

  “Happy Birthday kiddo.” Sheldon takes my hand in his, gives it a squeeze. Maybe he sees the panic on my face, because he leans in and whispers. “You deserve this. Enjoy it.”

  Although I knew he would be here, my breath catches when I see Marcus standing in the corner of the dining room by the appetizers, a coke in his hand. I haven’t seen him since he spent the night and I have no idea if I’m in danger from the demon or if he, Persephone and Henry have figured out who it is. And I hate that I feel shy all over again. My heart beats wildly in my chest. Katie appears next to me and elbows me in the side, urging me to go talk to him. The doorbell rings. She runs off to answer it, announcing that it’s probably her mom and her mom’s boyfriend, Jerry.

  I walk over to Marcus on wooden legs. “Hey.” Clearly there’s something wrong with me. I can’t think straight. And ‘hey’ is the best I come up with? It’s no wonder he didn’t come and spend a second night with me.

  “Hey yourself.” He fixes me with a penetrating stare. Once again, his outfit—a white button down shirt and dark blue jeans—does him justice. I recall the warmth of his throat, his scent, and I fixate on the area of skin exposed by those three open buttons.

  “Thanks for coming,” I say breathlessly. I give myself a mental shake and try to sound normal...confident. “I hope my uncles didn’t pressure you too much.”

  “Nah, they bribed me with their famous fried pickles.” A smile pulls at the corners of his mouth. He plucks one of the fried pickles from the tray and tosses it into his mouth.

  “Yeah, they’re pretty irresistible.” I smile back at him. I try to imagine what Ella would do right now. Should I flick my hair? Lick my lips? The problem is…I would screw it up and wind up looking foolish.

  Marcus leans into me. “We need to talk later.” His voice is low as his eyes sweep the room. “Certain measures have been put into place.”

  “What kind of—”

  Katie returns, followed by her mom. Ms. Stevens’ tight black-and-white animal print top bares most of her cleavage. She shimmies toward me in tight white jeans and high heels. I hope she doesn’t notice my double take.

  “Happy Birthday, Lucy,” Ms. Stevens says through overglossed red lips as she hands me a small wrapped gift. She leans in to give me a hug. Her cloying perfume is overwhelming. I try not to make a face.

  “Thank you, Ms. Stevens.” I set the gift on the counter next to me, then hug her back. Over her shoulder, Katie scowls, her arms wrapped around her stomach.

  “Good to see you, Marcus.” Ms. Stevens flashes him a flirty smile. “Is your brother joining us tonight?”

  “He’s at work. He may come by later, though.” Marcus’ tone is polite. I’m impressed that he never once checks out her boobs.

  “Well, I hope so.” She winks before joining my uncles on the other side of the room, accepting a glass of wine.

  “Sorry about that,” Katie mutters, her face beet red. “Apparently she and Jerry had a huge fight, so tonight she wants to flirt with Aiden.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” It’s a relief to know that I’m not the only one with embarrassing parental situations. “It’s funny, though, you really look nothing like her.”

  I want to talk to Marcus about the mysterious security measures, but not in front of Katie. I recall Jude Morgan’s comment that Aiden works for him and I want to ask him about that, but don’t want to have to explain Jude to Katie, either. Besides, if Ms. Stevens hears us talking about Aiden, she might come back. “So…you go to St. Pat’s?”

  Marcus raises an eyebrow slightly and nods. I guess subtlety isn’t my strong suit. “Yeah, I’ll be a junior. What about you?”

  Our eyes lock and it takes a moment to find my voice. “Um…I’ll be a sophomore. I don’t know where I’m going yet.”

  “We’re hoping she’ll be going to St. Aquinas Academy with me,” Katie says as she grabs a plate and fills it with fried pickles, dip, sof
t pretzel bites, chips and salsa.

  I nod. “It would be nice to start the school year knowing at least one person.”

  Katie talks to Marcus about some people they both know and what they’re up to. I nibble on a pretzel bite, relieved to have a break from the pressure of small talk. I try not to be obvious as I stare at him, studying the slightly messy style of his hair and how he looks at the floor whenever he smiles. He’s got dimples. And a small scar above his lip. I wonder how he got it.

  His voice is gentle but commanding—Katie hangs on his every word. Do I look like that when he’s talking to me?

  I love his frown. I love the way he looks at the ceiling when he can’t find the right word. I really love how he took Ella’s hand off his arm when she flirted with him at the mall.

  I see why all the girls at Katie’s middle school were crazy about him. When his intense brown eyes fix on me, I can’t think straight. It’s as if he’s trying to see inside of me, to peek at all my secrets. I look away quickly, not wanting him to know that beneath the cute clothes, I grew up in a trailer park shopping with food stamps.

  “Where do you go every morning?” I blurt out. He and Katie pause their conversation and turn to me. My cheeks grow hot. I can’t believe I said that out loud.

  “I’ve been helping out at St. Pat’s Church, a remodeling project with Father Bill.” He tries to suppress a smile. “I’m surprised you noticed. You’re gone a lot.”

  “That’s because us girls have been keeping her busy.” Katie laughs awkwardly. “Actually, it’s all because of Ella and Caroline. They’re always on the hunt for the next hot guy hangout. Not that we’re…not that Lucy’s looking…”

  Marcus averts his gaze, his mouth pressed in a grim line. I resist the urge to kick Katie and open my mouth to explain, to tell him I’m not spending my time chasing guys. But before I can say a word, the doorbell rings. The pizzas have arrived. Marcus excuses himself to get a glass of water from the kitchen.

  “Katie!” I hiss. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m sorry.” She grabs my arm, her big blue eyes frantic. “I don’t know why I said that. I swear! I…I got nervous and couldn’t shut up!”