Nightside

by Holly Hook

  “Shit.”

  “It's not all bad. Father gave me the first stable home I've had in years,” Riley says. “I'm due to take over the coven now. He chose me, though I don't know what he sees.”

  “And now you're fraternizing with the enemy,” I say. What's Riley feeling when he thinks of how he accidentally did this to me? I can't imagine. And it makes me feel like I don't deserve to have his arm around me.

  “Yes.”

  “I don't know what to say.”

  “There's nothing you have to say,” Riley says, smiling at me. “This is my choice and I'm taking it. Oh, here comes our food. After that, would you like to try some dancing?”

  We eat, and the food is just plain amazing. Afterwards, when Riley pays, we walk hand-in-hand to the pier and climb on, joining the couples, mostly older couples, on the wooden dance floor. Another live band plays, some kind of jig that makes everyone tap their feet, and Riley and I join in, keeping our arms locked around one another. Then they switch to a slower song, and catching my breath, I turn to face Riley.

  He's glowing as he places both hands on my waist. We sway together as I place my hands on his shoulders, digging into the leather. Riley's an amazing dancer, keeping us in line with the music. The world around us seems to vanish until it's just him and the song. We twirl, closer and closer, closing the inches between us as the song intensifies. I press my chest to Riley's as we move together now, a single unit. Though I sense no heartbeat, his touch electrifies me all the same.

  Our gazes meet. I could fall into those dark, understanding eyes.

  "Can I?" he asks.

  I suck in a breath. "Yes." This could mean death for us, but I'll take it.

  Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back, and our lips brush at first, almost hesitant, before molding together for what feels like eternity.

  * * * * *

  I'm still breathless as Riley rides us back to Moon's Peak. The motorcycle ride and the wind blowing against my face only adds to it all. But as the minutes crawl past and we pass the sign to Moon's Peak, something becomes obviously off.

  "Police lights," Riley says.

  I look around him. He's right. Red and blue swirl against each other at the turnoff to go to downtown.

  He slows the bike and we come to a stop at the intersection. I gulp. Two cop cars are parked across the road. Beyond them, downtown Moon's Peak has lots of police milling around, especially in front of the seaside cafe.

  My stomach drops. Riley motions to the police officers sitting in their cars. "What happened?"

  I expect the two guys to tell him to leave, but instead, the older one, a gray-aired officer with a stereotypical mustache, waves us around the cop cars. "We've had a murder."

  Riley tenses.

  "They're just letting you through?" I ask as he maneuvers the bike between the cars.

  "I know them. The police know us," he says. "This isn't good." He stops when we're between the cars and looks at the older officer. "What's happened, exactly?"

  "The woman who runs Seaside Cafe." The officer wipes his brow, which has sweat forming along his hairline. "She's dead. You'll see for yourself."

  "You mean the old lady who works there?" I ask, but Riley accelerates for a bit and lets us coast into downtown. Crime scene tape blocks off the front of the cafe and more police stand inside. One of them has hung a blue plastic tarp over the window.

  "Yes."

  I want to throw up. Sure, I'm from a big city where plenty of crime happens, but this is different. Now that I know the truth about Moon's Peak, I can't just go home, go to bed, and pretend things will be normal tomorrow morning.

  Riley parks in front of the cafe, right between another pair of police cars.

  "You can't be here," an officer in a state uniform tells us, waving us back like we have a disease.

  "It's okay, Carl," a local officer tells the guy. She nods to Riley. "We know him. He's with the others."

  My mind reels. We get off the bike and I stumble after Riley as he pulls open the glass door. The bells jingle as if this were an ordinary evening, and Riley pauses in the doorway, blocking my way forward.

  Not that I want to do that.

  The old woman lies on the floor, on her back, with her throat ripped open. Despite the red, gaping wound, very little blood lies on the floor, and she stares at the ceiling with lifeless eyes and a face five shades paler than it used to be. It's clear. A vampire committed this murder.

  An invisible fist rams into my chest. I gasp for breath, dizzy.

  And another thing is clear: the Beaumonts, including Addie and Riley's father, stand over the corpse with a pair of police officers, arms behind their backs. All look down at the grisly scene as one of the cops scribbles something on a clipboard.

  Riley shoves me back, forcing me onto the sidewalk and back to his bike. "Get on," he orders.

  Not that he has to. We climb on together, and Riley backs us out of the space and rips back through downtown. I grasp his torso as if I'll fall off. The Beaumonts can't see us together. I look back, but no one has come out of the restaurant.

  And I struggle not to puke on Riley.

  We're back at my house before I have a chance to catch my breath. Riley pulls into the driveway and parks, getting off the bike and helping me off in the process. Every time I blink, I see the gaping wound and the face so pale it shouldn't belong to a human.

  "Olivia, are you okay?" Riley asks.

  "Who did this?"

  "I don't know. But I have to go and handle this, okay?" He grasps both my arms as if to steady me. Here I am, some powerful predator, and a guy has to hold me up.

  "This isn't normal, is it? I thought your coven only went after vagrants."

  "We do. Stay here, Olivia. Please. I have to make sure this doesn't have to do with us." Riley slowly lets go, and once he seems to realize I'm not going to fall over, he gets back on his bike and backs down the driveway. With the revving of the motor, he's down the road and gone.

  Chapter Eleven

  I can't sleep that night until the clock hits five in the morning. Then I drift into a dreamless sleep, never quite unconscious, waiting for Riley to return with news. But he doesn't come back, and even Mom making us a big breakfast the next morning, Sunday, doesn't cheer me up. The look on her face asks how the date went, and the longer I eat in silence, the deeper her frown gets.

  I can't take it anymore. "The date went great. I'm just tired because I was so excited, I couldn't sleep last night."

  The tension breaks. "I'm glad for you, honey. At least you got home at a good time last night. I heard that someone robbed the cafe uptown and slashed the throat of the woman who was closing up."

  So that's the story spreading through town. "Someone what? Riley and I went there to hang out not too long ago."

  Mom shakes her head. Her glare glues me to my seat. "It's one thing in Chicago but another here. Be careful when you go out, Olivia. I mean it."

  I spend the rest of the day staying inside, peeking out the window to make sure Addie and the rest of the Beaumonts haven't tracked me down. They stay away, so they might, with luck, suspect a rogue Nightside of the murder. It's not until Sunday night, when the itch starts spreading over my body again, that Riley appears at my window.

  I open it slowly before he knocks. Riley stops, fist in mid-air, and nods to me. "Sorry I stayed away so long."

  "I get it. And it's fine." My heart races. He could be here to deliver news of my fate for all I know. "What did you find out?"

  Riley licks his lips and looks at the ground for a second. "The murder was committed by a vampire. Father believes it must have been a Nightside, because none of the Truebloods here hunt people in the community. They're off limits. And Clara Delmont, the owner of the cafe, has been a lifetime resident."

  I think of the truce the Riveras have with the Beaumonts. Maybe this is why they don't hunt locals. "You guys need to stay quiet, in other words."

  "Yes. Only a Nightside would have lef
t a body out like that for people to find. It's almost as if they were leaving us a warning."

  My stomach turns. "Riley, I don't know anything about it." The itch creeps over me again and I shift. I'll have to go out into the woods tonight, with or without Riley, so I don't commit murder.

  "I know you had nothing to do with it. Nightsides are lone wolves, and it's possible there's one passing through. But my family is determined to weed out whoever it may be. You need to be careful." He removes the screen and reaches through the window, grasping my hand. His grip is cold. Riley's shaking, pupils wide. "They'll look for every opportunity they can to find whoever did this. And you're new to town. You can't give off the wrong impression at any time. Do you understand?"

  I gulp. "Yes." I hate seeing Riley with the guilt shining in his eyes. And I know my changes are the cause.

  He trembles even harder as he works his jaw, struggling to find what to say. "I'll do everything I can to protect you, but it won't be easy. Olivia, we need to keep our distance from each other. With the rumors flying, it's the only way to stay safe."

  "No!" I blurt out the word, but it's the only answer.

  "It's critical," he says with a deep sigh. "It will take all my energy to keep my family off your back and I might not even succeed. Stay safe, Olivia." He kisses the top of my hand, but unlike before, it feels formal, distant, as if Riley's already gone.

  And then he is gone, running back into the night and leaving me with my shattered heart.

  * * * * *

  Things are back to normal at Moon's Peak High, only with a gray cloud over everything and broken possibilities. Lily meets me when I get through the door and the Beaumonts are nowhere to be seen. She doesn't speak much as we walk through the halls, and it's clear the murder's on her mind. But she sneaks glances at me from the corners of her eyes.

  "I didn't do it," I say, breaking the silence.

  She swallows. "I've been worried."

  "I don't blame you," I say, hiking up my backpack. "I really, honestly, did not do it. Riley and I were out of town when the murder happened." I stare right at her, hoping to communicate that I'm not lying. The last thing I need is to lose my friend, too. Or have her attack me.

  Lily peels herself from the wall. "It's obvious a Nightside did it. You're not the only one."

  A thought hits me. "Then we need to find who did. The Beaumonts are looking for the killer. And if they find them--" I stop as Lily holds up a hand.

  Riley and I can be together again.

  Without his family hunting for a hidden Nightside, we won't have to keep our distance anymore.

  "It won't be easy. Nightsides are not very detectable. They blend in," Lily says. Then she grins at me. "You should know that."

  Maybe she doesn't think I'm the killer. Unless she's hiding her suspicion. I dare to drop my shoulders. Lily won't kill me in the school with a bunch of witnesses.

  "Heck, I didn't even know at first," I whisper as we walk to our first class.

  Class starts, and we're not able to talk anymore. A student assistant drops off a pass for Lily, letting her know her parents are here to pick her up, and without a question, she leaves. I know why. The Riveras must be gathering, ready for battle, and now I can't even ask Lily about Nightsides at lunch.

  And when I see Riley in the cafeteria, back to me like I don't exist, I'm more determined than ever to find out the truth. I've got to learn what this means for me and for everyone else. The thought of facing reality sends shivers down my spine, but I've got to deal with it sooner or later.

  And if any library would have the information I need, it's the one here in Moon's Peak. Don't they have a back room that's locked? I remember seeing one behind the main desk, but haven't thought about it until now.

  So when school ends and no one, not even Addie, confronts me in the hall, I gather my books and hurry out. The town library's not very busy at this time of the day--mostly just a few students trying to do homework and taking up the computer stations--and the librarian is busy playing Solitaire on her computer. Behind her, the locked door beckons. Special Collection. Authorized Personnel Only.

  Yes. That looks interesting.

  "Excuse me," I say.

  She jumps and gasps. The woman seems nice enough, with soft brown eyes and curls that hang around her cheeks.

  "What do you have to do to access the Special Collection? Is it old books?" I ask.

  "Oh." She frowns. Bad sign. "The Special Collection. We keep it safe for the Beaumont family and have since they founded this place. They're the only ones authorized to access it. I'm sorry, but the antique books they have are worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, and understandably, they don't want to share them with the rest of the town. I'm not even allowed to go inside." She holds up her keychain and smiles. "No key."

  Sounds like the Beaumonts, all right. I wonder if this woman knows the truth about them. "Oh. I was just curious."

  She smiles at me, and I leave the library, dejected.

  I'm going to have to take yet another risk. Riley won't help me with this. He can't. But Lily still talks to me. Maybe she will, even if that means going against her family, who will be searching for the same Nightside that committed the murder. And that's dangerous for us both.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lily still looks at me funny when I get to school the next morning. In fact, she's waiting just inside the entrance, arms crossed in tense manner and shoulders hiked almost to her ears. If she's trying to keep her composure, it's not working.

  "Lily. I need to talk to you."

  She nods. "This way."

  I sense what it's about before we even reach the empty band classroom. Lily waves me inside and closes the door, which just serves to thicken the air. "Talk."

  "Okay. I can tell you're still worried about me. I did not commit the murder. And I am one hundred percent sure I didn't."

  "Well, yes." She's unreadable. Maybe that's part of the hunter training. Appear harmless, then strike. My eyes search for an alternate exit she's not blocking.

  "Let me give you the whole story," I say. "If you think I'm making it up, go ahead and attack me." She must have weapons in that big leather backpack of hers. I tell her the entire date story, and as I speak, I watch Lily for any sign of movement. If she believes I murdered the old woman, she will turn to her training. And I won't blame her.

  But as I finish with the predicament I'm in, Lily's jaw drops.

  She lunges, hugging me before I can react. No blade goes into my back. Guilt bubbles up in me for thinking she'd go against me without a trial.

  "Lily," I manage, because she's crushing my ribs.

  "I've been terrified for two days now. You just showed me no signs of lying. I know you wouldn't want to kill anyone but sometimes things happen if a vampire gets too hungry, and if my parents find out about you even if you're not the killer, well, it won't be good."

  "I got that idea," I say as she lets go.

  Then Lily holds me in a very serious gaze. "My parents are on high alert. They only made a truce with the local Truebloods. You're not part of that truce. Do you understand?"

  Her parents will kill me. "I understand."

  "They won't ask questions, either," Lily says. "The older generation of hunters are very black and white."

  I ball my fists. It seems everyone wants to kill me. "We need to find the real killer. That's the only way Riley and I can even pretend to be together and the only way people are going to get off my back. It was probably a Nightside who did it."

  Lily eyes the door for a second. "We might be able to find them. The restricted section of the library might have books about vampire lore that could help us find who it is. Maybe there's a way we can weed out the killer. My family's been dying to get their hands on that collection for years. But the Beaumonts haven't given us the keycard, which I guess is understandable."

  Yeah, if I were them, I wouldn't want a hunter to have the keycard, either. "Then whatever's in there must be importan
t."

  "Exactly." Lily grins. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? If we work together, we might be able to crack the vault."

  A nervous tingle rushes across my palms. "Well, I can't just walk up to Riley and ask for it."

  "Can you follow him? You should be able to do that without being detected, if you've been, well, practicing the whole stalking thing."

  I think of the deer and rabbits I've been hunting every few days. The instinct always kicks in for that, but this is different. This is Riley. But if he's not paying attention or using his powers, his senses won't be as strong as they are at night. "I need to steal from him."

  "Yes. I know you don't want to."

  He's already done so much for me. If it wasn't for Riley, I would have died already. But there's no other way.

  "I'll trail him."

  * * * * *

  Riley continues to ignore me at lunch, sitting with the other Beaumonts who pay us no attention. That makes things a bit easier. When Riley gets up and puts on his bulging backpack, I know I have an opportunity. He often goes and deposits extra books at lunch.

  "Wish me luck," I tell Lily.

  "Luck," she says.

  Riley exits the cafeteria, and I stretch as Addie snaps her gaze in my direction. The back of my neck prickles. So I sit again and wait her to look away before I bolt to the cafeteria door, staying as quiet as possible.

  The halls are mostly empty, though people sit on the benches, studying, and Riley's walking down the D wing towards his locker. I follow, getting behind a couple of guys strolling to a classroom. I peek over their shoulders. Riley turns his combo lock. I can't see the numbers from here. Focus, Olivia. No good. I have to think of him as my prey.

  My vision sharpens and the numbers snap into existence, turning from blurred blobs to a 23. Then Riley turns the lock again. 6. A third time. 16. He snaps the locker open and stuffs his entire backpack inside.

  Twenty-three. Six. Sixteen.