Silverthorn

by Sydney Bristow

  “I’m fine.” Only I wasn’t. I was confused about how to deal with Alexis, Darius, and Zephora. I told them everything that happened since I dropped them off last night.

  Afterwards, they all stared at me, shocked.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Don’t you think it all happened a little too easily?” asked Kendall. “Celestina visits you then you see Zephora and Darius…and you’re still alive?”

  “What are you saying?” I asked, suspecting that Kendall didn’t think I could handle myself. “I told you my mother was a drug addict, my sister thinks I’m an idiot, my niece needs someone to look after her so she doesn’t go dark side on everyone, Darius almost tore my head off, and Zephora wants to end life as we know it.”

  Brandon nodded. “You get all the fun.”

  My lips lifted at his sarcasm. “Listen,” I said, lowering my head, sadness taking hold of me. “I want to apologize. For everything that’s happened this past week. I can’t expect you’d be okay with it. You might even hate me, but just know that I never meant to put any of you at risk.” I met Kendall’s gaze. “Other than Lulu, you’re all I’ve got.” Seeing moisture build in her eyes, my heart lurched toward her. Then I exchanged glances with Brandon. “You’re really—”

  “Are you kidding?” he asked, nonplussed. “Did you hear a word I said a minute ago? I repeat: 20,000 hits on YouTube!” He glanced at Nolan. “Do you have to record a video confessional of how great that is?” He set his gaze on mine. “When we started this band, you said we’d become household names. And dammit, you’re doing it. Do I want vampires and witches coming after us? Hell, no! Do I blame you for it? Hell, no!” He looked at Kendall and then turned to me. “But you’re our best friend. That hasn’t changed. So what makes you think things will change now?”

  Seeing their emphatic expressions bolstered my appreciation that I had such supportive friends. That left only one other person to answer to. I swallowed before looking at Nolan.

  A carefree smile touched his lips. “Our gig kicked ass. Vampires just add to the mystique. I say bring ’em on!”

  He seemed confident in his ability to handle everything and anything, regardless of the supernatural elements that might attack. For that reason, I wasn’t quite sure I could trust him. Seeing both Kendall and Brandon a few feet away, I pulled them in for a brief hug. “Thanks, guys.” Then I retreated, motioned to Nolan, and said, “Could we have a minute.”

  They turned their attention from Nolan to me and nodded without a word. Brandon said, “Nolan, you said something about Hostess Cupcakes?”

  “In the kitchen. Check one of the overhead cabinets.”

  Brandon headed in that direction, leading Kendall.

  “Look,” Nolan said, turning to me. “I know you three are tight. I don’t want to fracture things.” He held his ground, looking determined. “But I’m right for this band.” He remained silent for a moment. “I can feel it. Whatever comes our way, I’m not afraid.”

  “You should be.”

  He stared into my eyes, searching for something deep down, something that went beyond words, beyond even thoughts.

  The depth of feeling he displayed set my emotions aflame. I tried to push down the heat inside me, lest I shoot a bolt of fire at Nolan. “Don’t…look at me like that.”

  “Like what?” he said, stepping toward me. “Like this?” How he managed to look carefree on the outside but with passion burning beneath that mystified me. Only a few inches separated us.

  The heat between us was scintillating, the unspoken dripping with meaning. I dropped my gaze, knowing that looking him in the eye would end all effort at keeping my composure. “Don’t act like it’s not a big deal.”

  “Who said it wasn’t?”

  I swallowed, finding it difficult to keep each breath even.

  He moved closer and cupped my left cheek in his palm. “It’s life or death. I get it. But do you?”

  Energy left my body, almost as if something drained it from my being. “What do you mean?” Feeling his other hand grasp my hip made it impossible to think straight.

  “From what you said…” He slid his other hand onto my left hip. “They’ll keep coming.”

  I felt even more vitality dissipating from my body. “Yes. They will.” I bit my lip, trying not to acknowledge the pull he had on me.

  “So what happens then? You just keep killing them?”

  His words broke the trance that captivated me. I pulled away from him, and my strength no longer drifted away from me. I recaptured some of it as though it had clung to me as long as Nolan hadn’t placed a hand on me. “Well yeah. I guess so.” His distance left me feeling cold. “Someone has to. I guess…that’s my job.”

  “Why?”

  That question dumbfounded me. “Who else would do it? Not Alexis. And Celestina is too young. So who else is there?”

  “That doesn’t seem fair.”

  “This isn’t about fairness. If that was the case, I’d have someone to help me.”

  “What about me? And Brandon? We can help.”

  If Brandon stole someone’s ability, he could help for a few hours, but I couldn’t depend on that supernatural gift. He might not know how to use it or control it. What can you do? Have you found out yet?”

  “I’m kinda scared to find out.”

  I appreciated his sincerity. So many other guys his age would have acted fearless and macho. “Scared about what?”

  “What I am. Who I’m supposed to be. What if I turn evil?”

  “You’re a good person. You have a good heart.”

  He smiled at the cheesy line of television dialogue I fed him. “Yeah, well—”

  “Ooh,” Kendall said from the kitchen. “Microwave popcorn.”

  I said, “Do you have anything against fruit or vegetables?”

  “If they leave me alone, I’ll leave them alone.” A solemn look chased away his lighthearted remarks. “Anyway, you were saying, they’ll just attack you wherever and whenever? You have to be on guard at all times?”

  “Seems that way, yeah.” His question triggered a little paranoia, making me wander into the living room, where I plucked my fingers inside the blinds and glanced outside.

  I didn’t see any brake lights or fumes exiting exhaust pipes anywhere on the street. No one stood around or walked the sidewalks until I glanced to the right and noticed a man standing on the sidewalk with his back turned to me, tilting his head side to side as though searching for…someone.

  I snapped the blinds shut and stepped back.

  Concerned, Nolan stepped forward and reached for the string to control the blinds.

  I attempted to divert his hand to prevent him from calling attention to us – that was, if the stranger looked our way.

  But Nolan clutched my wrist.

  Once again, I felt power leaving my body as though every time we touched, my thighs quivered and my heart palpitated. Surely, it had something to do with how attractive I found him. It made me feel like a lovelorn teenager. Since I had left little time for romance during my collegiate career, I presumed that my lack of a love life contributed to my awkwardness.

  When I turned to Nolan, he stared at me with an unrecognizable expression, as though he noticed a current of energy passing between us, but he had a difficult time comprehending what it meant.

  His uncertainty heightened my emotions, making my breath catch in my throat.

  He released my wrist.

  And just like that, our connection severed as if I’d cut off an essential lifeline to our continued existence.

  Nolan straightened as though an electrical shock had energized him. For my part, I had the opposite reaction. I wavered for a moment, feeling like he’d sapped my strength. I looked at him with a curious expression.

  “You felt that, right?” he asked.

  I swallowed and nodded, startled to discover that I alone hadn’t felt the shock between us.

  “At first,” he said, “I thought I was imagi
ning things.” He looked at my hands. “I don’t know what happened, but I feel stronger, more powerful, whenever…we touch.”

  That realization set my hopes on edge. It meant he’d felt a spark between us. I wasn’t just imagining things. But what did he mean? I didn’t know how to take his comment.

  “It’s like putting a plug into a wall socket.”

  I shook my head, puzzled.

  “Like I was electrocuted.” He looked down, analyzing his feelings. “I’d never felt that before.” He stayed quiet for a moment. “Really strange!”

  And that totally sent my hopes spiraling downwards…because, really, what woman wanted to hear that remark? “Yeah,” I said, trying to remain positive. “Exactly.” I had to do something to get off the subject or I’d no doubt acknowledge that I felt disheartened not to have shared a connection…in a more romantic sense. After all, I thought we’d led up to that point, but I guess I’d misread the signs. And since I didn’t have much experience in that department, I tried not to get down about the misunderstanding.

  To avoid a clumsy attempt at sidestepping the topic, I leaned forward, stuck two fingers between the blinds, and peered out.

  A man stood on the opposite side of the street, now about forty yards to my left. Wearing a dark suit against a sinewy frame, he didn’t expend any more energy than necessary as he looked on either side of the street.

  Darius. He’d followed me.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Startled by his appearance, I stepped back from the window.

  “What’s wrong?” Nolan asked, stepping toward me, concerned. He turned to the window again, ready to peer through the blinds.

  I slapped his hand away from the window and instantly regretted it. He had all but clarified that he didn’t have feelings for me, and rather than subject myself to an unrequited love affair, I needed to move on. I didn’t want him to think I was upset that he wasn’t into me, and in all honesty, that was the truth. I was disappointed, but I’d only knocked his hand aside because I didn’t want Darius to pinpoint our location.

  Since he had honed senses, I couldn’t determine if he might pinpoint movement at forty yards. Could he see us? Hear us? From behind a window? It’s not as if doctors analyzed him and wrote an article about their findings in an academic journal. I doubted he’d detect our motions or voices, but I didn’t want to risk it.

  “Darius followed me,” I said. Then I realized that, because of his instincts, he may have singled out the sound of my engine or muffler, and remained far enough behind on the road to prevent me from noticing him.

  “Did he see us?” Nolan asked.

  “I don’t think so. I’m going to follow him.” I didn’t want to obey that piece of logic, but it felt right.

  “Really? Because if he’s a vampire, won’t he hear you or see you?”

  “Not if I’m careful…if I stay far enough away.” If I followed him home, and he let his guard down, while I had the Soul Sword, I might be able to sever his head. I turned to go. Half a second later, I felt a hand grasp my right forearm, swinging me back towards Nolan. “Once more, I felt a little woozy. “What gives?”

  “I can’t let you do that,” he said, standing tall. “I won’t let you put yourself in jeopardy like that.”

  I wouldn’t emasculate him by stating that I could take him in a fight. “I can handle myself.” I tried to shrug off his hand, but he wouldn’t release it. “If I don’t go now, I might lose him. So…” I glanced at his hand then met his gaze.

  But the concern lining his eyes looked much more worried than that of a simple bandmate. Confused by his intentions, I said, “What’s wrong?”

  “You can’t go alone. I’m coming with.”

  I smiled at his naiveté. “I don’t want you to get hurt.” I swung my arm, unlocking his hold on it. The haze in my mind instantly cleared up. I felt a little weak, but not enough to track down Darius. After all, that sensation only lingered for a few moments before I regained my full energy. “Don’t wait up for me.” I headed for the door.

  He took heavy steps behind me. “I said, I’m coming with you.”

  Irritated, I spun around. “Look, I don’t have time for this. I might not get another chance to get him one-on-one. I’m not going to blow it by arguing with you.”

  “Then let me come.”

  I couldn’t ignore the determination in his eyes. For whatever reason, he wouldn’t let me handle this alone. I considered knocking him unconscious, but even though I didn’t know him too well, I was certain that doing so would hurt his pride and result in him quitting the band. He was too integral, too valuable of a band member to allow him to leave.

  I exhaled in surrender. “Fine.” I glanced toward the kitchen, where Brandon and Kendall were arguing about the integrity of the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Bringing Nolan might jeopardize my mission. If Darius somehow got hold of him, I might have to capitulate in order to let him to go free. But if I brought Brandon and Kendall…

  Without further thought, I hurried to the kitchen, where I found Brandon placing a large, plastic bowl on the countertop. “I’ve got a lead on Darius. I plan to kill him.”

  Brandon let loose with a giant grin. “I’m down for that!” He removed a bag of popcorn from the microwave, but the heat burned his fingers, and he immediately dropped the bag with a high-pitched howl. Cringing, he flicked his fingers and then hit me with a dubious expression. “That just destroyed my tough guy status, didn’t it?” He scooped up the bag and pretended that he held a telephone. ‘Thank you for calling Wusses R Us, how may I direct your call?’”

  Kendall offered a shy smile, completely enamored by his self-deprecating humor. “Of course not!”

  He met her gaze and shrugged. “I’m doomed to spinster-hood. Might as well get out my yarn right now. Hey, Nolan: do you have any cats? It’s probably a good idea if I start collecting them. He exhaled, dejected. “Guess I’ve got a new stage name: ‘Spinster Cat Man.’”

  Nolan broke out laughing.

  In every other instance, I thought I’d seen Nolan completely disarmed, but I now realized that he’d put up a false front. Only now did I see his shoulders slump and his easy smile truly relax. Until now, his charisma and quiet personality had always given the impression he could enter any conversation and fit in with ease. But I realized that he’d distanced himself from others. He’d used his personality to remain friendly but not intimate with others.

  Did he have a girlfriend? I hadn’t asked. Why would I have? We were band members. Besides, he didn’t have a wedding band on his finger, and since we hadn’t even gotten closer than an almost-kiss…a few days ago, I figured that he must have been single. The way he’d let his guard down and the way he’d looked so natural and carefree, while still maintaining his nonchalance made me gravitate toward him.

  Kendall glanced from me to Brandon and Nolan…and back to me again. “No way. I’ve got vampire blood in me. Besides, everything about your family really creeps me out.”

  “Even me?” I asked.

  “Especially you,” she answered with zest. “Besides, what’s next? Ghosts? Angels? No way. I’m out.”

  “Of the closet?” Brandon asked. “Because I could have sworn you were—”

  “More woman than you could possibly handle.”

  “Well, only because you’ve been sipping on vampire blood.”

  “Witches? And now vampires?” She scoffed. “What’s next? Ghosts? Angels? I’d rather not.”

  Brandon looked at her, disappointment souring the excitement on his face. But after a few seconds of deep contemplation, he slanted his head to the side while looking at Kendall. “Yeah, there’s not really much upside to dealing with a master vampire, is there?”

  I had no doubt that Brandon could handle himself with a human, but a vampire? Never! He might be able to steal one power, but vampires had multiple abilities Brandon couldn’t elude.

  “That makes sense,” I said, frightened by the uncertainties of allowing
them to accompany me. Then I realized that I’d accepted Nolan’s help. “Let’s go.” I hurried to the door, cracked it open, and looked out.

  Darius had vanished from the area he’d inhabited.

  I searched the street…and saw him standing behind my vehicle, sliding his fingertips along my trunk.

  My heart raced. My mind spun. And I wish I hadn’t been so dimwitted.

  Darius hadn’t followed me to end my life, although if I became an obstacle to his plan, he would no doubt try to do just that. But at Alexis’s home, he’d seen me standing by the trunk moments before he recovered from his knee injury. Unless he thought I tossed some wooden stakes in my trunk, he’d assume that I’d gone to the trunk to retrieve the Soul Sword so I could decapitate him.

  I shut the door. I only had a few seconds before he ripped the door of the trunk and recovered the Soul Sword. Sweat broke out on my brow. Nervous energy made my toes twitch.

  “He’s out there, isn’t he?” asked Nolan.

  I nodded. Then a perfect idea formed in my mind. I hurried over to the window, withdrew my car keys, and hit the alarm button on my key.

  The alarm split through the silent night.

  I didn’t dare glance out the window. Darius would surely scan each house, looking for the person who set off the alarm. I couldn't risk him seeing me. While he couldn’t enter Nolan’s house without an invitation, he might set it on fire. Therefore, I waited about seven or eight seconds before looking out the blinds.

  Lights lit five other houses on the block, where various homeowners looked out their windows, checking on the disturbance, all eyes directed at my vehicle.

  Few would have noticed Darius race back to his car anyway: his speed would have made each individual think their mind hadn’t really seen someone move that fast. By the time they glanced in that area, he would have disappeared.

  Now that Darius hunched low behind the driver’s seat and couldn’t scan the street for the person who had set off the alarm, I disarmed the alarm. He would surely wait until each homeowner left their window and shut off their lights before starting the car and driving off, so I stood off to the side of the window, which allowed me to see if Nolan’s neighbors flicked off their lights. When the last one did so, I remained in place until I saw Darius drive down the street with the headlights off.