by Kristen Day
After making it down in the elevator without seeing a soul, I snuck out the back doors of Maren Hall and into the dead of night. This living situation wouldn’t be very conducive for much longer. Thankfully graduation was just around the corner. Then I could move into my grandmother’s house on the south beach.
The night air hit me like a jet engine and I could actually feel my hair frizzing up into a king-sized Brillo pad. I glanced up at the night sky teeming with clouds and stars; the moon lighting the beach and the ocean beyond. At least it would be easy to find her. Not that I needed my eyes for that. My new trace was like a game of hot and cold. When I was close, it glowed brighter. The farther away I got, the dimmer it became. I hoped Calypso enjoyed watching her descendants stumble around like blind women on a treasure hunt.
I decided to ditch my flip-flops at the last of the boardwalk steps in place of bare feet, which helped me as well. I’d noticed that I could also feel the vibrations of her feet on the sand. I liked to picture myself as a giant Stasia detector; keyed in to her essence and live footprint at all times. I rolled my eyes at myself. It was definitely hard, though, with mom so far away. I was having some trouble getting used to my newfound abilities. Many of them had come on unexpectedly and scared the crap out of me.
I often wondered how Stasia would react when I told her. Would she be happy? Angry? Would she even believe me, or would she think she had a deranged stalker? The fact that it wasn’t necessarily her decision didn’t make it any easier. It actually made it that much harder. But I’d cross that bridge when I came to it. At that moment the muscles in my hand began to cramp, so I jogged up the beach as the all-seeing eye slowly grew brighter.
A flash of movement several yards away caught my attention and I scurried up towards the cover of the dunes. Just to be safe, I camouflaged myself and ran the rest of the way toward the figure crouching near the dunes up ahead. A slight vibration alerted me to Stasia’s presence just at the surf line, and it looked like she was inspecting something on the sand. I stood with my hands on my hips for a second in an attempt to figure out what she was doing. She smiled and ran her hands lightly over the sand with delight.
Leader of the Tydes or not, that girl was crazy. I shook my head and redirected my attention to the other person watching Stasia play in the sand. It was immediately apparent she was neither Tyde nor Siren, so who was she? And why was she trailing Stasia in the middle of the night? I crept even closer, but still couldn’t place the girl in a particular Order at Lorelei. She donned a mane of hair so blonde it appeared ivory in color. I could just make out subtle silver streaks running its length, but I couldn’t tell if they were really there or just a trick of the moonlight.
As pale as her hair was, it didn’t hold a candle to her skin. The moon’s rays highlighted a shimmery white skin that I thought only Edward Cullen could rival. Considering vampires were anything but real, I checked that off the possibility list. She was petite and looked about the same age as me. She was panther-like in her motions, and the white maxi dress she wore did nothing to deflect the light of the moon, which gave her a glowing quality. She glanced in my direction and I froze as the light of her eyes flashed. Eerie purple eyes searched the beach, shining with an unearthly glow, and I wondered if she was even human. Then I noticed her necklace.
A small glass orb hung from her neck. An orb containing a touch of moonlight. An Aura. But this girl didn’t fit the description of an Aura. I’d never known an Aura who didn’t have dark hair. Or purple eyes, for that matter. Stasia stood and walked into the waves, prompting the Aura to abandon her spot by the dunes to follow. I faintly registered the cramping in my arm increase. In less than a second I was behind her, but to my surprise she turned calmly and looked directly at me.
“You want to explain to me why you’re lurking around in the middle of night, Aura?” I hissed at her, the last word coming out as an insult.
“I should ask the same of you, Tyde,” she stated plainly; her bright violet eyes boring into mine with intensity. Her voice was like a breeze at twilight that lightly ruffled your hair and sent shivers down your spine.
“I live here!” I spit at her. “And that’s my Elysian you’re stalking.”
“Anastasia is your Elysian?” She cocked her head to the side with confusion. “Aren’t you too young to be a Paladin?”
Her eyes brightened momentarily and her appearance shifted as if she was nothing more than a hologram. For a fraction of a second, the image of a stunning dark haired girl with an unyielding stance and confident smile stood before me clutching a sword. It blinked so fast, I wasn’t even sure I’d seen it. I blinked several times and she regained her former Aura appearance. I stepped toward her with renewed malice.
“It doesn’t matter how old I am. The question you need to worry about is whether or not I should kick your ass. At the moment, I’m leaning severely towards yes.”
“I mean her no harm,” she claimed calmly.
“Said the girl creeping in the shadows in the middle of the night,” I countered dryly. As I spoke, an intense burning pain radiated from the center of my palm. The mark which had been vibrant light blue was growing fainter by the second; meaning Stasia, along with whoever meant her harm, was moving farther away.
“It would appear I am not the threat you seek after all, Paladin.” She smiled at me with genuine glowing eyes and raised a pale eyebrow at the dimming mark on my palm.
Chapter 11
Stasia
I tilted my head back and listened to the mesmerizing song encircling my heart and empowering my soul. The ocean arms that enveloped me, mixed with moon rays still filtering through the surface, captivated my entire being. I was suspended somewhere between reality and a lullaby; the notes of the melody caressing my every cell. The words of the song weren’t in English, but somehow I knew it was the melody that was important, not the words. The cadence of the notes blended together into a perfect harmony and stole away my fears to soothe my anxiety. It was as if she was singing just for me. Similar to the song of the ocean, but richer, more powerful. It brought with it a promise of safety; a promise of power. I only hoped that one day Finn could hear how beautiful it was. Finn. With his name in my thoughts, I completely surrendered to the song’s call and drifted into the soft pillow of unconsciousness.
Red. Blood red. I tore my gaze away from the massive moon dominating the sky, and instead inspected the many figures encircling me. The crimson rays cast a sinister glow onto the landscape and I slowly turned around. The sand beneath my feet wavered from cool to hot as it fought the intensity of the moon’s energy. Each figure standing around the circle wore a hooded red cloak that masked their face and caused fear to crawl up my spine. What was I doing here? A large white cliff to my back was smooth and intimidating, and I saw no other hint of life except for the mysterious, cloaked statues that had not moved or spoken whatsoever.
I had the strange impression they were waiting for something. Or someone. I felt the sand under my feet tremble at the same moment I felt a coolness waft over me. Two of the figures surrounding me stepped to the side to make way for the procession heading towards us. I had no idea where they had come from, but there were four more figures dressed in - not red cloaks, but black - carrying a large rectangular silver tray above their heads. The four ornate handles reminded me of a massive platter used to serve large dinner courses. With two on each side, they walked in perfect unison with bright silver eyes gazing forward. With not so much as a glance at me, they entered the circle and turned to face each other solemnly. They lowered the large platter and I realized there would be no Thanksgiving turkey on this tray.
After they lowered it down to the white sand, I knelt down to take in the newest addition to the circle. Laid out across the silver tray was a body. It was wrapped tightly in dark fabric and completely still. Instead of the horror and nausea I should have felt, I only registered curiosity and anticipation swirling around in my mind. The four figures turned in unison and melted
back into the circle. One by one, the cloaked silhouettes began to kneel. I watched them with fascination as the fleeting thought that they were kneeling to me raced across my mind.
But I was wrong. They were kneeling for the woman about to enter the circle. Her smile was gracious and approving as it fell upon me and I stood to greet her. Her spiraling black hair danced in the wind and across her shoulders as she walked, but her eyes remained bright silver; cutting through my soul and sending a wintry wind over my heart. A light purple dress was draped over her figure and she set both hands on my shoulders. She kept her steely gaze on me, but addressed the hooded figures encircling us.
“I thysía ti̱s psychí̱s prépei na férei sto proskí̱nio to pepro̱méno sas.”
With that, each figure stood and regained their formal unmoving positions. A very calculating grin spread across her face and she closed her eyes. I looked on as she tilted her face up toward the light of the moon. The hands on my shoulders turned to ice and I collapsed onto the sand like a rag doll.
My retinas seized with pain as a white hot burning sensation shot through them; lighting my world ablaze. I squeezed my eyes shut, but it did nothing to diminish the searing agony now crawling down my spine. The sand beneath me quivered as I fought to move even a single part of my body. I was finally able to twist my head to the right with painstaking slowness.
The dark strips of fabric had been pulled from the body next to me; allowing me to see her face. Suddenly, the tight coil paralyzing my body released its unearthly grip and I was able to move. I sat up without deciding to do so and the burning in my eyes dispersed, leaving me reeling with only an echo of the pain.
The next moment a crushing wave of arctic air crashed over me and instantly wiped my mind clean of any emotion, memory, or beliefs. The icy fingers coiled downward; encompassing my cheeks, mouth, and chin. It overflowed onto my chest and I felt an intense pressure threatening to make my heart explode. Unable to fight the powerful energy, I could only wait until it had run its course. Somehow I knew it was only a matter of time now.
I glanced up toward the impending blood moon burning in the sky, and felt the numbing chill that had taken my body hostage spread out and consume the air around me. I laughed as I reveled in the light of the moon. It cooled my skin and soothed my aching eyes. The glass orb dangling from my neck was now pulsing a deep red hue, and I closed my eyes and trembled with excitement.
An imposing presence at my feet silently commanded my immediate attention. I opened my eyes and met the iron gaze of the dazzling woman once more. Behind a menacing grin, she handed me a dagger encrusted with luminescent white stones, flanked by darker red ones that I couldn’t identify. I turned toward the body lying beside me and allowed my eyes to admire the offering I was about to make.
She glowed a brilliant violet hue that held a presence all its own. The almost translucent skin of her face and neck were resting on a pile of pale blonde hair highlighted by silver streaks. Without the sheet to cover her naked body, she looked out of place among the reds and oranges cast down by the moon. As I held up the dagger and glanced up at the woman, the hooded figures in the circle began to chant. They slowly began to move clockwise, and I could have sworn the moon followed suit.
“Welcome, Granddaughter, to your destiny,” the woman proclaimed with a wicked grin. As the powerful energy surged through my body once more, I swung the dagger into the girl’s chest with as much force as I could muster. I watched as blood sprayed my hands and ran down my arms with wonder. I pulled the dagger from her body and glanced up at her pale, unmoving face.
Suddenly her violet eyes flew open with panic and she lunged at me. “Anatasia, no!”
“Stasia!”
A frigid breeze blew across my cheeks and I turned on my side to shield my body from the chill. The sand beneath me shifted ever so slightly to accommodate my weight, and I cracked open my eyes in confusion. Why was I lying on sand?
“Ugh,” I moaned, my nightmare coming back to me in full force. “Not again.”
“Stasia!” A voice was calling out to me. I noticed two figures emerging from the waves and sat up with alarm.
“Olivia?” I squinted to make sure I was really seeing her. “What in the world are you doing?”
“I’ve been looking for you for hours!” she screeched. “How did you get back to the beach without me seeing you?”
“Back to the beach?” I furrowed my brows at her. “I don’t remember ever coming to the beach in the first place!”
“You…wait a minute.” She crossed her arms with a disapproving frown. “Are you telling me you don’t remember anything that happened tonight?”
I inspected my dripping wet, sandy clothes and sighed. “This is how it always happens. I go to sleep in my bed, have the same recurring, awful nightmare, and then I wake up on the beach. It’s really starting to wear on me.”
“Starting to wear on you?” she muttered and pinched the bridge of her nose. When she looked back at me, I felt her essence spark and her eyes narrowed in anger. “Do you realize what you’ve put me through tonight?! Do you, Stasia?!”
“Olivia, I don’t know what-”
Her dark eyes wild with hatred; she lunged toward me with both hands and grabbed my shoulders in a rage of epic proportions. Surprisingly, it took a lot of effort to wrestle her off of me.
“Olivia! Stop!” Finn’s booming voice took me off guard momentarily; allowing Olivia to regain her iron grip on my shoulders. She was screaming something at me, but I couldn’t make out a single word. It all just merged together into one ear-splitting screech. While my eardrums rattled and I felt electricity running through her hands, I gathered my strength and threw her off of me. I had to do something before she decided to electrocute me or stab me with a sea shell - or something equally as dramatic. I felt the vibration in the sand as she landed with a thud.
“Don’t!” Finn threatened Olivia as she tried to regain her balance. I could tell her hands were shaking with the urge to choke me, but she flopped back down on the sand and squeezed her eyes shut instead.
“Stasia,” Finn sighed in relief as he wrapped warm, wet arms around me. I relaxed as his dark essence wrapped around us and calmed my frayed nerves. “We couldn’t find you anywhere. I tried calling out to you in your thoughts…Olivia’s been searching-”
“It’s pointless,” a defeated looking Olivia shot at him. “She doesn’t remember anything.”
“What’s the last thing you can recall from tonight?” Finn asked me patiently and wiped my face of sand and water.
“I remember falling asleep in the bed beside you,” I answered meekly. “And then I woke up here on the sand. Again.” The uncertainty in his eyes at my answer made my stomach drop. What happened? Why couldn’t I remember anything? A cold feeling of dread crept down my spine as a myriad of possibilities came into my mind. None of which were good. Finn wasn’t mad or upset, so I must not have done anything too detrimental. I captured his gaze and gave him an innocent smile.
“Can you enlighten me as to why Olivia is trying to kill me?” The smile that broke his pensive frown almost melted me into a big puddle right there on the sand.
“She couldn’t kill you if she tried.” He winked at me and chuckled wholeheartedly.
“Oh yeah?” Olivia snapped at us from her spot on the sand. “Doubt me.” That only made Finn laugh harder as he picked me up and began to carry me back to the cottage.
“She’s just looking out for you,” he whispered in my ear. I weakly blew her a kiss as we walked past, and from the bright red color of her cheeks, I could tell she was very close to imploding. Instead, she watched us go with a controlled silence. She rose from the sand and simply stomped back down the beach toward Maren Hall in a cloud of pissed off, sizzling energy.
Chapter 12
Stasia
That afternoon, Willow’s body was taken back to her hometown, where a small ceremonial funeral would be held for immediate family members the next day. After wat
ching the Coast Guard load the casket and carry her body back to shore, we gathered on the beach to have our own private memorial.
“Why her?” Phoebe complained rhetorically. Several tears ran down her cheeks as she wrote Willow’s name in the sand without actually touching it. “It’s just not fair.”
“Everything happens for a reason,” Ian comforted her. “Or at least that’s what they say, right?”
She grinned up at her boyfriend halfheartedly and wiped the sand clean once more. As one of Finn’s old roommates and a fellow Son of Damien, Ian fit the dark, mysterious stereotype well. We were lounging on the beach in front of Maren Hall with heavy hearts and even heavier unanswered questions. Ian’s thoughtful, dark eyes gazed out onto the waves and he held Phoebe tighter. I squeezed Finn’s hand as I watched them. Ian’s dark, aloof demeanor was the perfect yin to Phoebe’s quirky, energetic yang.
“Then why don’t you enlighten us?” a dark voice thundered behind us. His tormented essence traveled on the ocean breeze and slammed into my own. The bloodshot blue eyes and tear-streaked face were shallow representations of the pain I knew was within as he challenged Ian. “Give me one good reason why I killed Willow!”
“Liam.” Ian climbed to his feet and stepped toward his defeated friend. “You didn’t-”
“Didn’t I?!” Liam’s capable hands shook as he held them out for Ian to see. “She’s dead! I killed her!” I felt Finn tense beside me and wasn’t surprised when he jumped to his feet in an effort to calm Liam down. The heavy veil of sorrow that hung over us shifted and sharpened with each spoken word; each frenzied tone. Something had snapped in Liam, and I could tell he was only barely holding onto sanity.
“No one is at fault here,” Finn spoke carefully. “It was a horrible tragedy, plain and simple.”