The Forsaken Saga Complete Box Set (Books 1-4)

by Sophia Sharp

  “Oh. Uh, Megan,” I said, quickly making up a name. I didn’t like to lie, but I didn’t want to see his reaction if he found out I had been with Liz.

  He frowned again. “I don’t know any Megan.”

  Damn. Caught in the lie. “Maybe you haven’t met her yet?”

  “I’ve been going to class with these kids for three years,” he laughed, “I think I know mostly everyone.”

  “Well, apparently not,” I said.

  “Are you sure that’s who you were with?”

  “Yes! Why are you so adamant about finding out where I was last night? You didn’t seem to care much, earlier.”

  “Alright, alright, I believe you,” he backed off. “You’ll have to introduce me one day. Since we’re friends and all.”

  “Um, sure, I guess that’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll hold you to it.” He looked at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to admit the lie. Somehow, I felt like he saw right through my attempts to hide the truth.

  “Why do you care so much, anyway?” I asked, quickening my stride. I didn’t have any responsibility to tell him everything about me. It’s not like he was my boyfriend or anything. Plus, I was still annoyed that he hadn’t let me touch the crystal.

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” he said somewhat apologetically, catching up to me. “If you don’t want to say, that’s fine.”

  “I did tell you,” I repeated.

  “But not the whole truth…?”

  I started feeling fed up with him. “You want to know the whole truth?” I demanded. “Fine, I’ll tell you, but only because you insisted on it. Before, I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. I know you saw me at breakfast yesterday, and I saw your reaction when you noticed who I was with. I don’t know your history with those girls, but whatever it is, rest assured they feel the same way about you. So, you want to know what I was doing last night? I went to a party with them. I didn’t want to tell you that, only because I remembered what you said about not having many friends here. I didn’t want to upset you about it.

  “But you keep insisting, so here’s the truth: Liz told me that I should never be seen talking to you. She nearly made me promise, in fact. But you know what? I like to make my own decisions about who I’m friends with. So, she’s just going to have to understand that I’m friends with you. And same goes for you, too. Now you know that I’m friends with those girls, and you can’t go storming off in anger like you did yesterday morning whenever you see me with them. It’s possessive, and creepy, and damaging, and it’s not what friends do!”

  He looked absolutely shocked at my outburst. I turned away and kept walking. For a few minutes, he walked silently just behind me without saying anything. Finally, he spoke up.

  “And what about Rob?” he asked gently.

  How did he know about Rob? “What about him?” I asked suspiciously.

  “I heard he’s taken quite an interest in you.”

  Rob had taken an interest in me? I was flattered, maybe even a little bit giddy, at the thought. But it was ridiculous. “Who told you that?” I asked, followed up by, “That’s stupid.”

  “That’s not what I heard,” he replied. “Last night at the party—”

  “Wait, you were there?”

  “No, no,” he shook his head. “But some people I know, who know him in turn, said he wouldn’t stop gushing about you yesterday.”

  I looked back at Chris in shock. Surely he was mistaken? “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope. And then last night, at the party, I heard you guys had a pretty intimate moment.”

  “That’s not true!” I blushed. If the short hug was deemed intimate… my thoughts shifted. Who could have told him that, anyway? Who would have noticed me at the party, and taken enough of an interest to see what happened between me, a completely anonymous girl who was little more than a stranger, and one guy out of a hundred?

  “That’s what I figured. I didn’t think he was really your type, anyway.”

  “My type?” I asked quizzically. What did he mean by that? I asked him as much.

  “Oh, you know, handsome – but moronic. Single-minded. Vain, and not particularly interesting to talk to.” Was that a hint of jealousy I detected in his voice? “I just would have thought you’d be interested in guys with more, I don’t know, substance, maybe.”

  “How do you know all that about him?”

  “I hear things, and I see a lot,” he answered coyly. “From the little time I’ve spent with you, you seem pretty smart. I just thought you’d need someone else like that, to match you intellectually, at least.”

  Someone like you? Was that what he was getting at? I had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to Chris than he let on. I realized that it would be nearly impossible for someone not to have any friends and survive this long at a school, and then mysteriously hear about everything that went on at an apparently exclusive party. No, there were definitely more layers to him than met the eye. I didn’t think he was being completely honest with me that day we first met. The question I wanted answered was why?

  “Well, you’ll be glad to know that there’s nothing going on between me and Rob,” I told Chris sourly. I sighed. “You’re probably right, anyway. Maybe he’s not my type. To be honest, I barely even know him.”

  We continued down the cave in silence, the single flame casting long, flickering shadows of our bodies against the floor. As we were just about to exit, Chris spoke up.

  “…I’m… sorry if I pressed you,” he said somewhat hesitantly.

  “What?” I had been lost in my thoughts and wasn’t paying attention.

  “You clearly were looking out for me, like a good friend should, and I’m sorry that I didn’t trust you.” He said it with such candor that it made me instantly regret my brief outburst.

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I think I should apologize, too. I shouldn’t have gotten mad, especially after what you showed me just now. In fact, I should probably thank you for sharing the crystals with me.”

  “So we’re good again?” Chris asked behind a sly smile.

  “We’re good. It wouldn’t be much of a friendship if a little argument got in the way. Right?”

  “Right.” He beamed at me. “Come on, we’ve got to get out of here before night falls.”

  He was right. The sun was already setting, and I did not want to climb up the cliff in the dark. As we made our way back up, the last remaining bits of sunlight providing just enough light to see, I felt an odd type of relief for having made full amends with Chris after the argument. It was weird – hanging out with him today. I felt like I had been on an emotional rollercoaster ride. First there was the mystery of our destination. Then there was the wonder of the crystal. Finally, there was the irritation at being barred from touching the surface of the glassy rock. Afterwards, when he insisted on my telling him what I did last night, the irritation grew to outright anger. Now, it was superseded by a peculiar feeling of contentment. In fact, I felt closer to him now than I had even when he showed me the crystal. Which was strange, because we did have that short fight. Maybe it was because I realized that there were things to him that he hadn’t yet shared. This mystery made him seem more… interesting.

  “If you’re any slower down there the high tide will get you in the morning!” he yelled teasingly from above. I realized he was nearly three-quarters of the way up, while I was still languishing just a few yards above the water.

  “We’ll see about that,” I said determinedly, and started climbing faster. Before long, I had nearly caught up with him. I knew he had slowed down to wait for me. A few minutes later, he was at the top, leaning against that big boulder and looking out over the horizon as he waited for me.

  I grabbed a worn handhold, and pressed myself tightly against the wall. The ledge was the most unnerving thing about this whole trip, but I was proud that I had made it all the way up without stumbling once. Well, nearly all the way
. There was one more narrow passage, which I was crossing now, before I was home free. It was trickier than the first time, with the sun going down, but I made it across without incident.

  Finally, as I was about to take the final step from the ledge onto the ground above, I relaxed. I had made it to the top before it had gotten dark, and there was no more danger of tumbling down. I put my foot onto the hard earth, but as I shifted my weight onto it, I felt the ground crumble beneath me. I started to slip, and let out a yelp. I tried desperately to reposition my weight. But, I could feel myself losing balance, starting to fall backwards. The spiny rocks below threatened to take my life.

  Chris moved with incredible speed. One second he was ten feet away, the next, he had his hand wrapped around mine. He jerked back with such force that I flew into him, and we both crashed onto the ground, safely away from the edge. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I had just been a hair’s breadth away from certain death.

  I heard a sound, like a deep sort of rumbling. It got louder, and the ground started to shake. I looked down, and saw that it wasn’t the ground at all. It was Chris, pressed down against me, struggling to keep an entirely uncalled for bout of laughter under control. I glared at him menacingly. That only made him laugh more. So, I punched him in the arm. His mirth was contagious, and I started laughing, too. I was still too shocked from what just happened to move off him, but it felt good to be able to laugh.

  I laughed and laughed, until it hurt to do so, and then stopped. I realized Chris had stopped too, and was staring up at me. I looked back down at him. The only sound I heard was the beating of my own heart. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from his face and I didn’t want to. He had saved my life. Slowly, inexplicably, I moved my head down. And as the last rays of the sun winked out over the horizon, I pressed my lips against his.

  Chapter Fourteen – A Meeting

  That night, I got back to my room much later than I expected. Saying goodbye to Chris, I unlocked my door and stepped dreamily inside. The entire last few hours had seemed almost unreal.

  It all started with the crystals, which eventually led to the kiss. Had that been his plan all along? No. If I hadn’t stumbled on the ledge, it would never have happened. Would it?

  I thought back to the kiss. When our lips met, a totally unfamiliar wave of passion came over me. I didn’t even know I had it in me. Something about the situation aroused the latent capacity. Chris must have felt the same, for when I eventually pulled away, he just stared goofily at me. I must have looked much the same. For the first time in my life I had been completely unbridled by extraneous second-guessing and internal self-dialogue. Even the memory of the kiss warmed me.

  Chris was the first boy with whom I felt totally comfortable. Around him, I was free to be myself. There was no uncertainty, no anxious anticipation of what to say or what to do. With him, everything just… flowed. And if anything, I had been conscious of his feelings of uncertainty, and tried my best to assuage them. This was even before all these new developments… happened.

  I skipped off toward my bed. I was about to fall, carefree, onto the sheets, when I froze. What happened with Chris, I just realized, put a whole new tangle into my relationship with Liz and the girls. I wasn’t about to hide what happened. Then, again, I had a feeling that they would shun me if they ever found out. And did I really care for Chris, or was it more a spur-of-the-moment thing? Only time would tell. No matter what, I needed to have friends here. The girls would provide that.

  Were they the type of people I wanted to be friends with anyway? I had seen, firsthand, how despicably some of them acted when Liz so obviously needed their help. Then again… it was Liz I was most concerned with. She was the one who told me I should stay away from Chris. She was the only one I really felt I knew, so far. Her friendship – and maybe Madison’s – was the only one that really counted so far.

  So, then, Liz was the one who had warned me about associating with Chris. Yet, she was the only one I felt I could become friends with. Though, to be honest, it wasn’t like I had gotten to know the other girls much. There were two or three of them that seemed like they had potential, but as for the others…

  Maybe I was being too quick to judge. After all, I was basing all this predominantly on their reaction to Liz’s frightening condition the other night. And she had recovered from it with astonishing speed. Maybe the girls who didn’t want to take her to the clinic had known something I did not. Maybe they knew that the symptoms Liz was exhibiting were much worse than the actual cause. Was that why Eve was so adamant about not taking Liz anywhere?

  Suddenly, I remembered that I had promised Liz I would call her. I had gotten so carried away by everything that happened with Chris that it had completely slipped my mind. I took out my phone, and saw that I had a single message from an unknown number: Call me.

  I could only assume it was Liz. I dialed the number. It rang a few times before being picked up.

  “…hello?” some guy’s voice answered, and it caught me off guard.

  “Oh, uh, I was looking for Liz,” I stumbled. “Did I get a wrong number?”

  “No, this is her phone. Hold on a sec.” I heard him yell out her name in the background, quite loudly, before returning to me. “She’s coming. Can I ask who’s calling? You didn’t show up on her caller display.”

  “Oh. Yeah, sure, it’s Tracy.”

  “Tracy?” the guy repeated. “Boy, I definitely didn’t expect you. It’s R—”

  I heard muffled static, like the phone had been snatched out of guy’s hand, and Liz came on. “Hello?” she said breathlessly.

  “Hey, it’s Tracy,” I told her. “Who was that on the phone?” I was certain it had been Rob. I mean, his voice sounded totally different, but some people’s did on the phone. Had he lied to me about not being in a relationship with Liz?

  “Oh! That? Um, it was a friend of mine. No biggie. So what’s up? What took so long? I’ve been waiting for your call forever.”

  “Sorry,” I said. “I had some things to do.” I realized if I pushed her to tell me who had answered, she could just as easily demand that I tell her where I’d been, and I didn’t want to have that conversation right now. “You said you wanted to talk?”

  “I do,” she answered. “But not now. It’s something we need to discuss in person.”

  “Sure,” I said. “That’s what I think, too. What did you have in mind?”

  “We need to meet as soon as possible. Tomorrow morning.” Liz paused, and I heard the guy’s voice in the background, but I couldn’t make out what he said. “Actually, tomorrow afternoon would be better.”

  “Fine by me. When do you want to meet?”

  “Let’s say around four.”

  “That works. Where?” I thought she’d suggest the cafeteria, or one of our dorm rooms, or something.

  “By the lake,” she said.

  “The lake?” I asked in surprise. “I didn’t even know there was a lake here.”

  “Oh that’s right, you’ve never be-en,” Liz said, drawing out the word as if I had committed an inexcusable sin. “I assume you don’t know where it is, then?”

  “Not a clue.”

  “Well, it’s not hard to get to, really. If you walk from the dorms toward the main yard, about a third of the way there, you’ll notice a beaten path on your left that cuts north at an angle. Just follow it into the forest, and watch for the markings on the trees. They’re like little orange triangles that were put there to make sure people don’t get lost. If you go all the way, you’ll come to the lake.”

  “Why don’t we just meet somewhere close by?” I asked. “My room, if you want?”

  “No, the lake’s the only place it would work.”

  “The only place what would work?”

  “Our meeting.”

  I didn’t understand why, but I didn’t want to argue about something so trivial, either. “Alright. But why don’t you meet me outside
the dorm, then, and we can walk there together? So I don’t get lost.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” she said dismissively. “And I would, except that I’ll be coming from a totally different direction.”

  “And you can’t meet beforehand?”

  “Nope.”

  “Fine,” I sighed, “the lake it is. I’ll meet you there at four?”

  “Perfect. See you there. Bye!”

  Before I could say my farewell, Liz had already clicked the phone off. It sounded like she was in a rush to get back to… whatever she was doing. I shrugged. There was nothing I could do about it now. Tomorrow, at our meeting, I would finally get the answers I had been looking for.

  I changed into my sleeping clothes and turned off the light. It was a clear night outside. With the blinds open, I could see the twinkle of the stars from my bed. Somehow, it felt fitting to have their lights shining down on me after the day I had had. The last thought that drifted through my mind before I fell into a deep sleep was how oddly familiar that twinkle seemed.

  I awoke the next day feeling a jolt of panic. I had dreamt about my old school, and in doing so, realized that I hadn’t even looked at my class schedule once since getting here. For all I knew, I might have already missed a full day of classes and slept through half of them today!

  I scrambled out of bed and went straight to my desk, where I had left that envelope containing all the information for new arrivals. The hardwood floor was cool against my bare feet, but I hardly noticed. I found the envelope crammed under the weight of my laptop. Pulling out the information package, I began to flip through it.

  The fourth piece of paper was the one I needed. The headline read Classes and Scheduling. I found what I needed, quickly looked at the calendar to check the date, and relaxed. The first classes would start tomorrow. That meant I hadn’t missed anything. Thank god. It was an odd schedule, I thought, to start in the middle of the week, but I guessed the school gave an extended move-in period for everyone to get settled before the academics began.

  I read the rest of the paper. Oh! It said I had to set up my classes online. That was interesting; I’d never done that before. And the deadline for picking classes was today at five o’clock. Good. That meant I had plenty of time.