My name was called, and I trudged over to my side of the net, tugging my shorts up as I went. Ms. Kimberly still hadn’t received the shipment of correct sizes, so I was using a rubber band to hold them up. I’d come dangerously close a few times to losing them around my ankles. I said a silent prayer I wouldn’t have to do any jumping or dodging today. Volleyball was the worst sport to try to keep too-big shorts around your waist.
Harper was on the opposing team. She was a superstar in gym, the exact opposite of me. I knew she’d do her best to keep the ball away from me and I relaxed a little. Maybe I could coast through the game.
The whistle blew and Harper served a zinger across the net. As the girls shouted and grunted around me, my thoughts wandered back to the mysterious newcomer in the hallway. The more I considered him, the surer I became he was The One. And after seeing Carmen’s interaction with him, I was confident Miss Golden Girl wasn’t so shiny and sweet after all. Their arrival in town was timed too perfectly to be anything else but connected with the Firsts’ attempts to eradicate those of us who were unwittingly stuck in this mess. Blooms of anger curled in my stomach. It was so unfair. We hadn’t asked for this and we certainly shouldn’t have to pay for it. Shadows slithered down my arms, a clear warning of my rising temper.
I was lost in the growing heat of my emotions when two things happened at once. The squeak and whoosh of the gym doors caught my attention. Gliding into the garish lighting, looking perfectly beautiful and at ease, was Carmen. She spared a quick glance at our game before making her way to Ms. Kimberly. The two bent their heads together, whispering over a piece of paper Carmen held in her hands, their backs to us. Meanwhile, within a few seconds of Golden Girl’s arrival, one of Kitty’s groupies aimed a shot straight at my head. The shouts of my teammates warned me in the nick of time. I raised my eyes to track the incoming ball. With my gut still churning with fury—and perhaps a smidgen of jealously—time slowed down to the space between heartbeats. Funneling my feelings into a thin cord of strength and determination, I jumped. My hands smacked the ball with a vicious slap, sending it streaking into a sharp spike aimed directly at Carmen. She never saw it coming. My missile caught her directly on the face, snapping her head backward. A strangled cry erupted in the suddenly too-quiet room and we all watched as she crumpled slowly to the ground.
Time resumed its normal speed as Ms. Kimberly dropped to her knees beside Carmen and barked orders to our group. Her fingers probing where the ball had hit, she dug a cell phone out of the pocket of her jogging pants. She pushed a number and talked quickly into the phone. I watched in mild horror at what I’d done. Harper came to a stop beside me and guilt crept up my cheeks in a deep flush.
“Of all the times for you to find your athleticism,” she said edgily.
I held my hands up. “I didn’t mean to. I panicked when I saw the ball coming for me and I jumped instead of dodged.” It sounded pathetic to my own ears and I could only hope Harper would believe me.
She didn’t. “Sadie Criswel, I just told you not twenty minutes ago how bad of a liar you are. Do not try to pass that off as an accident.” Her voice was low, so only I could hear, but I noticed accusatory glares from some of the other girls. Thinking about it, I could see why. It had been a brilliant shot, one I could hardly believe I’d managed, but due to its perfect aim, it would be next to impossible for anyone to believe it wasn’t intentional. My shoulders slumped.
“I didn’t even know what I was doing until it was over. Honestly, Harp. I was feeling angry and suspicious and then she walked in and the ball was coming right at my head and…” I trailed off, knowing I didn’t need to explain further. Harper could read me like a book. It would only take a few seconds for her to realize that while part of me had wanted to do exactly what I’d done, the other part was mortified about it.
Her furrowed brows relaxed and she sighed. “You’re really having a hard time accepting her, aren’t you?” My stomach quivered at the directness of the question.
I shrugged apologetically. “I want to like her. You and Cam and everyone else love her. But”—I searched for the right words—“she makes me nervous. At first it wasn’t anything I could pinpoint. But today, there’s a guy in the hallway with her and they seemed close and he fits the description of the mystery guy from the hospital and it doesn’t feel right.”
She studied me and I held my breath. “Okay, I believe you’re honestly freaked out. But Carmen is a great girl. Don’t you think I’d know if she were shady?”
I wanted to think she would, and under any other circumstances I’d trust Harper’s judgment. However, if Carmen was a vampire, which I was seriously starting to suspect, she could make anyone think whatever she wanted them to… including Harper. I would need more proof to win my case.
I plastered a smile on my face. “You’re right. Maybe I’m being silly.”
“I wouldn’t use the word silly. Maybe just… overly cautious.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I guess.”
The group around Carmen and Ms. Kimberly had grown and now most of the girls were turning to stare at me like I was the devil. I guess bringing harm, however accidental it was (well, half-accidental), made me someone to be shamed. Just great. The whole school will know about this before the day’s over. When Nurse Katy hurried into the gym and beelined for the crowd, I decided it was time for me to get out of there. Grabbing Harper’s hand, I dashed into the locker room and starting changing clothes.
“If she’s truly hurt, everyone at school will hate me.” I struggled to pull my shirt over my head. “Oh, who am I kidding. They’ll hate me, regardless. I knocked out their princess.”
Harper calmly handed me a brush. “You’re overreacting again. Nobody is going to hate you.” She watched as I tugged the bristles through my strands straight up toward the ceiling before using the tips of my fingers to tousle them around. “Man, you look good in that cut.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled. An idea was forming in my head. A completely insane idea, but something that could give me more ammunition against Carmen. Yet I couldn’t tell anyone what I was doing. Harper would freak out and she’d tell Molly who would definitely freak out and probably kill me herself. “Listen, I might be a little late to school in the morning. You’ll catch me up on what I miss, right?”
She looked at me with an expression of “I know you’re lying to me, but what can I do about it?” before heaving a deep sigh. “Of course, I will.” She hesitated, seeming like she had more to say, but instead wrapped her arms around me. “Whatever you’re planning, be careful,” she whispered in my ear.
My stomach churned. What I had planned was anything but careful. I nodded against her neck and prayed I wouldn’t lose my nerve.
CHAPTER SEVEN
I turned in to the gated community and breathed a sigh of relief when the iron walls opened. I wasn’t positive where I was going, but didn’t want to stop and announce my arrival with a guard, either. Huge trees lined the street, their thick branches reaching upward and joining to form a heavily leafed archway above me. The homes in this section of town were set far back, away from prying eyes. Many had a small driveway and mailbox, the only clues indicating the property was there at all. I drove slowly, hoping for a clue that would lead me to the right place. I’d driven up and down three streets when fortune finally smiled on me and I spotted what I was looking for. Turning into the stone driveway, I parked my clunker as close to the street entrance as possible in case I needed a speedy exit. Large, dense hedges, trimmed into perfect squares, framed the path from the drive to the front porch. I took a deep breath and walked up the few steps until I was standing on a black detailed welcome mat.
The double doors were enormous and imposing. Even Molly’s house didn’t compare to this place. I gave a tentative rap on the wood, listening to it echo inside. The way the sound bounced around, I figured it was a large room. While I waited, I took a minute to study the porch. A large bench swing took up one full end, hanging on chains
from the solid beams above it. Scattered across the seat were pretty pillows in bright reds and oranges. On the other end were four chairs positioned around a small table. I tried to picture Kade and his parents sitting there, drinking lemonade and telling stories, but the image wouldn’t come. I swept my eyes upward and saw a video camera aimed directly at me with a steady, red light.
Someone cleared their throat, startling me. The doors had swung open without a sound. In their place stood a woman dressed in a solid black dress like I’d seen in movies set in the 1800s. The skirt was long and full, sleeves puffed at the shoulders and then tight down her arms. A large brooch sat at her throat and she wore her white hair pulled back in a tight braid that looked painful. But what caught my attention was her face. With beady little eyes set close together and a long nose, she looked exactly as I’d imagine a rat would look. If it were human. Or vampire, as was the case. She stared me down for a few seconds, and I swear I saw her nose twitch. Part laughter and part fear swirled in my throat. But I held it back. Something told me I wouldn’t like it if I let it out.
“Can I help you, miss?” It was an impatient question that indicated she would rather not help me at all. My courage was slipping away.
Get a grip on yourself.
“Yes, ma’am.” It came out as a squeak and her nose twitched again. After a long pause, I realized she was waiting for me to continue. “Oh! I’m sorry. Yes, um, I was wondering if Kade was home?”
She looked me up and down for an uncomfortable stretch of time. Under her scrutiny, I became acutely aware of the hole in the left knee of my jeans and the scuffs on my tennis shoes. Her gaze drifted across me and settled on my hair, making me want to explain the incident with Harry the Cat.
She gave another nose twitch.
Just as I decided she wasn’t going to answer me, she did. “And whom may I tell him is calling?” Disapproval rattled in her dry voice.
“Sadie. Um, we knew each other in University.”
Recognition dawned on her rat face. “I am well aware of who you are.” Nose twitch. “You may come in and sit in the foyer while you wait.” She stepped aside to let me pass. I took a few steps past the door and found myself in a massive room. Everything was dark wood, polished so well it still gleamed in the sunlight barely filtering through the curtains. I carefully sat down on a red upholstered chair and put my hands in my lap.
The woman glided to a side table with a silver bell sitting on its surface. She picked it up and rang it once. Instantly, a man looking like he’d been brought back from the dead appeared. His cheeks were so sunken in, I could clearly see the outline of his skull and deep purplish bruises decorated the area under his eyes. I shuddered and looked away. The woman murmured something and when I looked back, he was gone.
She turned toward me. “Kade will be with you shortly.” She glided out of the room so quickly it seemed she’d vanished on the spot.
“Th-thank you.” I hated that I stammered, but the lady was intimidating as hell. Does she know I’m on a kill list? What’s to stop her from taking me out? What am I even doing here? This was a stupid idea.
My internal tongue-lashing was cut short when Kade called my name from the top of the stairs.
“Sadie? What are you doing here? Are you crazy?” He descended the steps quickly, coming to a stop right in front of me.
Yes.
“I know it’s risky.”
“Risky? It’s suicidal. You need to leave before Grandmother calls my parents. She’s in a good mood today, but that can change in a second.”
“That was her in a good mood?”
“Yeah. You’re lucky she didn’t latch on to you the minute she opened the door.”
His warnings and clear unease confirmed how dumb I’d been. “Okay. I’ll leave in a second. But I have to ask you something first.”
He ran a hand through his hair and glanced around. “And it wasn’t something you could do over the phone?”
I shrugged. I didn’t want to tell him that I needed to see his reaction.
He sighed. “Make it quick. You’ve gotta get out of here.”
“Two new kids showed up at school. A girl and a guy. Girl’s name is Carmen. I guess she used to live here.”
He stiffened. “What did the guy look like?”
“Tall and lean. Blondish caramel hair. They seemed familiar with each other. Like, really familiar. And they give me the creeps. I don’t trust them.”
“You shouldn’t.” He was abrupt, getting more agitated by the second. “You absolutely should not trust them. They are dangerous.” His eyes caught mine, the sea blue of them turning stormy gray. “You know what I’m telling you, right?”
I knew. The guy was the same one from the hospital parking lot. Probably the one Maddie saw Homecoming night at the game. The one who was out to get me, my friends, and everyone else ever involved in those damn experiments at The Nursery.
“Yeah, I got it,” I mumbled. His urgency finally paid off. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Away from his fancy, gloomy house and his creepy butler and probably insane grandmother. I stood and took a couple of nervous backward steps toward the front doors. “I’ll leave.”
Several things happened at once. I turned, Kade sucked in a sharp breath, and Rat Woman whooshed by me, coming to rest between me and freedom. Her little eyes were bright. Too bright. Eager. Her fingers were curled around something in her hand, but I couldn’t tell what it was. My heart hammered, blood rushing in my ears as though I were standing on the banks of a white rapid river.
“Grandmother, Sadie needs to leave.” Kade’s voice was calm and measured, the kind of tone you use when trying to talk a crazy person out of jumping off a roof. I held my breath, praying she would listen to him.
“Perhaps I don’t wish for Sadie to leave. There is quite a bit of drama surrounding her, yes?” Her dry voice was soft. “We could end that drama quickly. I would even make it painless.”
My knees wobbled as her words sank in. She was threatening to kill me, right here in the middle of Kade’s house. Dear God, no.
“Grandmother, please. Sadie’s not a threat. There’s no reason to hurt her. Let her leave.”
Her eyes dimmed slightly and my heart leapt. It was working. But as I breathed a sigh of relief, she shifted. Warning bells rang in my mind right as time seemed to slow down. The sharp tips of her fangs peeked through her wrinkled lips and I actually saw saliva drip from one point. It fell, landing on her chin where I watched her thirsty skin drink it in. Another drop. Another nose twitch.
Fear played a chaotic drumbeat in my chest. I squeezed my eyes closed so I wouldn’t see the end coming.
Just let it be over quick, I prayed.
But instead of the sharp cut of fangs into my neck, I felt myself fly sideways and then lurch forward. Sudden brightness flooded the dark behind my eyelids and I blinked them open in confusion. I winced as a terrible screeching sound filled the air, causing me to looked around wildly.
I was outside.
Kade was crouched on the porch floor, panting. His skin was bright red and little wisps of smoke curled around his body. The screeching, which was coming from the direction of his front doors, intensified. Rat Woman was in the doorway, throwing a fit like I’d never seen before. Her fingers were curled into claws, teeth bared, eyes alight with insanity. I shrank backward despite being safely in the sun. It took me only a second to understand what happened.
Kade had used youth to his advantage, sweeping me up and carrying me outside to the front lawn before his grandmother could lunge at me. Shock at the risk he’d taken flooded my body. In that moment, whatever small piece of me might still have thought he was on the bad team vanished. He’d suffered personal damage to keep me safe. Whether Molly or Harper liked it, he was one of the good guys.
My surprise in Kade’s heroics turned to the shakes. I’d nearly been killed. Even though it wasn’t the first time I’d been in mortal danger, it wasn’t like the car crash. This time I’d l
ooked death in the eyes as it prepared to eat me. I dropped to my knees and emptied my stomach on the grass. I kept going until there was nothing left, but still my stomach cramped and heaved. My left arm ached and a dull headache formed behind my eyes. Sweat poured from my forehead but I was cold. So cold. I closed my eyes, willing the crisp air into my lungs. Finally, the retching stopped and the relief of it forced me flat on my stomach where I hugged the ground to me like it was a trusty teddy bear who’d make it all better.
“Thank you,” I whispered, knowing he could hear me.
“You’re welcome,” he replied. His voice was ragged, prompting me to look at him. He was in the same position, but the smoke had stopped. Now that I could see him clearly, I noticed charred spots and angry blisters on his arms and face. He’d be in for a bad few days while his skin healed, and my stomach turned over again. I wondered what kind of pushback he’d get from his family for saving me. Worry gnawed at my gut. I didn’t want to be the reason for his punishment. Or worse. Who knew what his crazy family was capable of? From my vantage point, the whole lot of them were bananas.
By now, his grandmother’s screeching had turned into guttural gargles and grunts. I half expected her to foam at the mouth. Terror crawled up my spine. Goose bumps covered my arms and legs. My breath grew even more ragged as I listened to the urgent sounds.
“Go.” His whispered command thundered in my ears. I didn’t hesitate to obey. I scrambled to my feet and wobbled on Jello-legs to my car. The door creaked when I pulled it open but it was the sound of freedom. Never was I so glad to hear the squeal of the engine when I cranked it to life, the high-pitched whine urging me on. I turned the wheel hard, sending bits of grass, leaves, and dirt into the air as my tires churned tracks into the manicured lawn. I hit the street fast and sped back toward the front gates, praying they were still open. When I saw they were, I pushed the accelerator to the floor and flew out of the Neighborhood of Death. My heart was a jackhammer drilling a hole in my chest. For a few crazy seconds, I was afraid it might actually pop out of my body, and I laughed hysterically at the absurdity of the image.
Caught Between Worlds (The In-Betweens Book 3) Page 8