Everything was silent for the first time since the hound had appeared. I leaned over the edge of the monkey bars to check on it, grimacing at what I saw. The pole had gotten stuck in its body, entering its chest and coming out through its back. Blood glistened on the metal. One of its heads twisted at an unnatural angle, and the other whimpered before closing its eyes and falling lifeless on the ground. Its tail twitched a few times and went still.
I almost felt bad for the thing—but then I remembered how it had tried to make Blake and me into a late-night snack, and I didn’t feel quite as guilty.
Now was the issue of what to do with the body.
Before I could ask Blake for any ideas, the hound flickered like a faulty projected image and disappeared. All that remained was the pole, half-covered in blood.
I looked around, checking if there were any other monsters lurking in the darkness. Piles of woodchips crackled with flames, but other than that, nothing seemed to be moving.
“I think we can get down now,” I said.
Blake headed towards the ladder, but when he shifted his weight, the monkey bars collapsed, dumping us onto the ground. My breath caught at the impact. I broke the fall with my elbows and knees, rolling over the woodchips and colliding with Blake.
He sat up and ran a hand through his hair, which had gotten messed up in the fall. “I guess the wood didn’t take well to the fire.” He chuckled, and we both looked around the playground to examine the damage. The monkey bars dangled from one end like someone had taken a chainsaw to the middle of them. The flames on the woodchips were growing taller, and they lit up portions of the jungle gym, threatening to burn it all down.
He held his hands up in the air and slowly lowered them. As he did, the fire receded until it was snuffed out completely.
I examined my palms, which were cut up from the woodchips. “At least falling off the monkey bars is better than…” I looked at the place where the hound had been, scrunching my nose at the bloody pole lying on the ground.
“Than being ripped to shreds by a two-headed scorpion-tailed dog-monster?” Blake finished my thought. “I definitely agree with you there.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
My injuries weren’t bad—only a few scratches—and I called on white energy to heal them. They disappeared in seconds. Blake had a few cuts too, so I healed him as well, but using the energy wore me out. My head felt like a lead weight, and I could barely keep my eyes open.
“You look tired,” Blake said as we walked to the car. “Let’s go back and get some sleep so we’re ready for whatever we’ll be up against tomorrow. We’ll tell the others about what happened in the morning.”
I nodded, glad when we reached the car so I could sit down. My mind felt hazy, and all I wanted was to close my eyes, lean against the window, and go to sleep.
Then I remembered something I wanted to ask him. I’d been hesitant to bring it up before because I didn’t want to be intrusive, but one question couldn’t hurt. Plus, we’d just had a bonding experience. It’s not every day that you have to work together to fight off a mythological monster that wants to kill you.
“I heard that you and your friends don’t like humans very much,” I began, watching him in the hope that the question wasn’t too personal. “Is that true?”
He stayed focused on the road, his jaw muscles tight. “It’s not that we don’t like them,” he said simply. “But we are more powerful than humans. Is it so bad to see them as weak?”
“It’s not their fault that they don’t have powers,” I said. “We’re not any more deserving than they are. We didn’t do anything special to be like this. It’s just the way we were born.”
“It’s different when you’ve grown up knowing about what you can do,” he said. “Humans are weak. We’re powerful. Think of it like … natural selection.”
I looked out the window, not wanting to hear any more. Because it just reminded me that Blake only liked me because of my powers. He wouldn’t have noticed me at all if I were normal.
He pulled up in front of my house and turned to look at me. “Nicole,” he said, the smoothness of his voice making my name sound like music. “I don’t want you to take what I said about humans the wrong way. I’m not a bad person. I promise.”
My thoughts drifted to the clay sun he’d made for me in ceramics, and the time we’d spent together on the merry-go-round before getting attacked by the two-headed hound. “You just saved my life at the playground,” I said. “No one’s ever done anything like that for me before. I could never think you were a bad person.”
“Good.” He reached forward and brushed his fingers against my hand, sending a surge of heat up my arm. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if you thought otherwise. All I could think about when we were fighting that thing was that I wouldn’t be able to stand it if you got hurt because I couldn’t protect you.” His hand remained on top of mine, and I looked up into his eyes—so soft and deep and caring. Being with Blake felt right.
But an image of Danielle popped into my mind, and I yanked my hand out of his. He might be planning on breaking up with her, but right now, they were still together. And despite almost letting him kiss me on the playground, I didn’t want to be an accessory to cheating. “I should go,” I said, the words getting stuck in my throat.
“Right.” He nodded. “Goodnight, Nicole. Sleep well.”
I said bye, got out of the car, and walked to my house. He didn’t drive away until I stepped inside.
Once in my room I collapsed onto my bed, so exhausted that it only took seconds to fall asleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
My cell phone rang, jolting me awake. Kate’s name flashed on the caller ID. Wiping sleep out of my eyes, I pushed the answer button and lifted the phone to my ear.
“I’m outside your house,” she told me before I could say hi.
I rolled over and stared at the ceiling. “Already?” I mumbled, trying not to sound as tired as I felt.
“Did I wake you up?” She gasped. “We’re supposed to be at the diner in 15 minutes!”
“I can get ready fast,” I said. “I’ll be there in a few.”
She said bye, and I managed to pull myself out of bed and trudge over to my closet. What was right to wear for a day of Journeying towards the Shadows—whatever that meant—and possibly fighting more monsters like the one from last night?
It would probably be best to go with something comfortable. So I threw on jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt, a sweatshirt, and sneakers. The pink Nike swoosh reminded me of what Darius had told us in homeroom a few days ago about how the symbol is based on the Greek goddess of victory.
It wasn’t exactly battle armor, but it would have to do.
I walked downstairs and found my mom busy in the kitchen, cleaning up from dinner last night. She started the dishwasher and turned to me. “You slept late today,” she said, pushing her hair out of her face. “Is everything all right?”
“I had trouble falling asleep,” I told her. “But I’m heading out to have brunch with some friends—Kate’s here to pick me up. They’re giving me a tour of town afterwards, so I’ll be out for a bit.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie.
“You’ve mentioned Kate before,” she said, taking a glass out of the cabinet and filling it with water. “But who else are you going with?”
“Three other kids in my homeroom.” I glanced at my watch to see how much time had passed. Five minutes. Hopefully Kate wouldn’t be too mad. “Chris, Blake, and Danielle.”
“Two guys,” she said, waggling her eyebrows. “Are either of them cute?”
“Moooom,” I whined, not in the mood to deal with this right now.
“Never mind,” she said with a smile. “I’m just glad you’re making friends so quickly. Call me when you know what time you’ll be getting home. We should do something as a family tonight—maybe go out to dinner.”
“Okay,” I said, even though there was a chance that I might not be h
ome in time for dinner.
My phone dinged—a text from Kate telling me to get outside—and I grabbed my coat and headed out the door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Took you long enough,” Kate said as I got into the car.
“Sorry,” I apologized again. “I had to get ready and let my mom know where I was going.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I just hate being late.” She turned up the radio and sped down my street.
She was focused on driving, so I looked out the window as we made our way through town. It didn’t take long to arrive at the diner. It looked different in the day—the neon sign wasn’t lit, so the building looked more washed up, but it was just as busy inside. Waiters scurried around to get customers their food, although because it was morning most people had fluffy pancakes or Belgian waffles instead of hamburgers. It smelled delicious.
Chris waved at us from the same table we had yesterday. “You made it!” he said, scooting over to make room.
Kate rushed to sit next to Chris, which left me across from Blake. He was studying the menu as if he hadn’t been there a million times before, refusing to make eye contact with me. I curled my fists under the table, trying to push away how much it hurt that he was blatantly ignoring me again.
Kate ran her hands through her hair and looked at Chris. “Nicole had trouble waking up.” She laughed. “But it’s okay. I dragged her out of bed.”
“I couldn’t fall asleep last night.” I opened my straw and put it in my water—anything to avoid accidentally meeting Blake’s eyes.
The waitress took our orders, and I got the full eggs, pancakes, and bacon meal. The fact that I had such a huge appetite surprised me. I should have been nervous about whatever was going to happen on our journey, but my stomach felt hollow, like I hadn’t eaten in days. Maybe it was because of all the energy I’d expended recently.
After the waitress left, Chris slid into a casual conversation about school and sports. Kate smiled and nodded, clearly trying to appear not as worried as she was about all of the prophecy stuff. Danielle sent a few hate-glares in my direction, and Blake still wouldn’t look at me. At least Chris had a talent for holding up a conversation on his own—especially when it involved talking about how he planned on using his power over air to increase his accuracy at shooting three-pointers.
I waited for Blake to bring up the incident from last night, but the food arrived before he had a chance. I contemplated bringing it up myself, but I couldn’t do that. Because telling everyone about the two-headed hound also meant telling them that Blake and I had gone out together last night. There was no way to say it without angering Danielle. And the last thing we needed right now was extra drama.
I studied my food as I ate, my thoughts wandering. Even if Blake broke up with Danielle, the five of us were connected because of this prophecy. And as much as I wasn’t a fan of Danielle’s, starting something with Blake so soon after they broke up would be cruel. I would hate it if someone did something like that to me.
“So, are you all ready to get started?” Chris asked after we’d finished eating.
My thoughts drifted back to the monstrous hound. The anger in its glowing eyes was unlike anything I’d ever seen, and the way its two heads came out of the same body wasn’t natural. If we had to face anything similar today, we weren’t ready to handle it. At least I wasn’t.
“You look worried,” Kate said to me. “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah.” I forced a smile. “I was just thinking about stuff.”
She frowned. “If you want to wait until another day when you’re more ready for this …”
“No,” I interrupted, placing my hands on the table. “We have to do this today.”
Danielle laughed, downed the last drops of her coffee, and placed the mug on the table. “Is this another one of your ‘feelings?’” she asked.
Blake glared at her, and then turned his attention to me. His eyes were full of apology, but he said nothing. His silence hurt more than anything he could have said.
I zeroed in on Danielle, trying to remain calm and ignore her haughty expression. “We agreed to start now, so that’s what we’re going to do,” I said, glad when Kate and Chris nodded in agreement.
Blake looked at his watch. “You said you wanted to do this when the sun was out, so now’s the perfect time,” he said. “It’s almost noon, when the sun will be at its highest place in the sky.”
Renewed energy hummed through my body, and I wondered if it was because the sun was shining, or because I’d just had a full meal. Probably a little bit of both.
Whatever it was, I was ready to hit the road and decipher that prophecy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Kate wanted to drive, and Chris jumped in front, leaving Blake, Danielle, and I to figure out the seating arrangements in back. Danielle immediately volunteered for the middle. At first I was disappointed that I wouldn’t sit next to Blake, but it was for the best. I didn’t want to deal with the awkwardness of my leg accidentally brushing his for the entire ride.
I looked out the window so I wouldn’t have to see Danielle and Blake in my peripheral vision, watching the scenery as we drove down Odessa Road. We passed the news station where my dad worked, and then the road split. Kate veered left to stay on Odessa, driving past the entrance to the Hemlock Center. It looked a lot less foreboding during the day. Across from the Hemlock Center was an old cemetery. The rows of graves appeared to go on for miles.
As we got closer to the shore, the houses grew larger. Lots of them had boats parked outside. Finally we hit the small parking lot that looked out towards the ocean cove. No other cars were there. Branches scattered along the beach made it look like no one had walked there since summer.
Danielle crossed her legs, banging her foot against my shin. “This got us far,” she said, rolling her eyes and looking out my window. “So much for your theory of driving east. If we drive any further, we’ll end up in the ocean.”
I looked out the window again and placed my hand against it. The waves crashed steadily on top of each other, creating foams of white water that lapped up onto the shore. “I don’t know if the theory was wrong,” I said. “We might as well explore.”
“Why do you say that?” Danielle asked.
“I just have a feeling,” I said. “Come on.” I took my seatbelt off, climbed out of the car, and walked to the edge of the parking lot. I didn’t care if they followed or not—I wanted to check it out for myself.
Shaped like a U, the beach wound its way around the cove. There were two docks sticking out into the water, both with boats tethered to the sides. The taste of salt filled the air, and small hills lined the perimeter. The rocky beach was so unlike the smooth sand I remembered from vacations to the Georgia shore when I was younger. Another gust of wind blew through the air, and the waves crashed down harder on top of one another, like the ocean was urging me closer.
The car doors slammed behind me, and I turned around to find the others walking in my direction. Kate and Chris led the way, Blake and Danielle trudging behind them. The only one who looked happy was Chris.
“Where do we go from here?” he asked, holding his hand above his eyes to block out the sun. “I can hotwire one of those boats if you need me to.”
“You can hotwire?” Blake snickered. “I’d love to see that.”
“We’re not stealing any boats, so hotwiring won’t be necessary,” I said, even though the image of Chris trying to do that was amusing. “But I feel like we’re in the right place. I just don’t know what we’re supposed to do now that we’re here.” I looked up at the sun, hoping an idea would come to me. Obviously our Greek deity ancestors weren’t going to float down from Olympus and talk to us, but didn’t they have other divine ways of intervening?
“That dock,” Danielle said, pointing towards the one on the left.
Had she lost her mind? The dilapidated, crooked dock was clearly the older of the two. It looked lik
e it might collapse into the water the second anyone walked on it. Only two boats with faded paint that probably hadn’t been used for years were secured to the sides, as opposed to the clusters of modern, shinier boats bound to the newer dock on the right.
“Maybe we should try the other one,” Kate said. “It looks safer…”
“No.” Danielle shook her head. “It’s that one.” She marched to the decaying dock, the stilettos of her knee-high boots sinking into the sand with every step she took.
I followed her, my shoes spraying sand behind me as I hurried to catch up. The others followed as well. The uneven, jagged dock appeared just as unsteady up close as it did from far away. It creaked every time a wave hit. But that didn’t stop Danielle—she walked down the dock like a model strutting the runway.
“It’s down there,” she said, pointing at the water next to the dock.
“What’s down there?” I asked.
“Whatever we’re here to get.”
Kate wrapped her arms around herself and glanced back at the beach. “We should go back,” she said. “We can look at the prophecy again and see if we missed something.”
“Go back?” Chris’s eyes widened. “Let’s at least see what Danielle means. We’ve gone on instincts until now, and so far we’ve been right. Who’s to say that she doesn’t know what she’s talking about?”
“Exactly,” Danielle said. “I’m checking this out. You guys can stay or go, but there’s something there, and I’m going to find out what it is.”
“How do you know there’s something there?” Blake asked softly, placing a hand on her elbow.
“It’s…” Danielle paused, glancing at the water again and pressing her lips together. “Calling to me.” She looked down at her nails, and I couldn’t blame her for being embarrassed—it sounded crazy.
Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows Page 11