by Holly Hook
It helps, but not completely. At least I'll be good for tonight.
And at least the Riveras keep Mom away for now. I imagine they'll bring her back today when it's fully safe. If it's ever fully safe.
As the sun creeps over the horizon, I breathe a sigh of relief. The group of unknown Beaumonts disappear from the road in front of my house. None of them would have drank all night, so they have no choice but to leave. Good. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I pull on a jacket and head to the grocery store, my new phone spot.
And then I call Lily.
"I'm at the Moon Market. And I need your help with something."
Lily yawns but then she's awake an instant. "I'm coming," she says. "What happened?"
I give her the letdown. On the other side of the phone, Lily rummages through stuff. I hope she has a plan for getting Riley back, because I don't even know where he could be.
The sky stays clear, but heavy clouds loom on the horizon. Lily meets me by the front sliding doors of the Market, which is still closed so early in the morning, and she's holding a pretty canvas bag bulging with stuff. Clothes, probably.
"What's that for?" I ask, going from a jog to a walk.
Lily smiles. "Since I've seen all the other Beaumonts around, they must know what happened to Riley. Our best bet at finding him is to trail them."
"Um, they'll notice us," I say.
Lily sets the bag down, reaches into it, and pulls out a hoodie with the Moon's Peak lumberjack on the front. "Not with these."
"That's just a hoodie."
"Or these," Lily says, pulling out a black wig that looks as if it could barely fit over my real hair. It looks like an expensive wig, too.
"But our faces," I say.
"Oh. I also have colored contacts."
"What don't you have?" Maybe this has a small chance of working.
"Well, when you train to be a hunter, one of the things you learn is stealth," Lily explains. Her gaze flicks back and forth. "And you also need to pay attention to the weather. It might be all clear now, but it's going to rain this afternoon, and the Beaumonts will probably come out. Addie and her friends do like to hit up the local outlets. And since it's Saturday, they won't want to miss their chance."
Maybe she really knows what she's doing. Besides her parents, I haven't seen any hunter stuff in action yet. So we put on the disguises as a lady shows up to unlock the store. I end up with black hair and green eyes, and the wig fits comfortably with no signs of coming off. Lily's eyes have gone from green to blue. By then, the clouds are moving over the sun and a few sprinkles splatter against the pavement. We're ready to go.
Lily and I wander around town for a while, walking like we're relaxed, and I ask about Mom. Lily tells me she's doing fine at her house right now, but worried about me, so I text her and let her know I'm all right. I keep checking behind me all the time, paranoid, but I see no one but a guy in a long, green coat and a ski mask trying to duck in and out of the cold, crappy weather. We spend an hour wandering up and down the street as the sprinkles turn to mist. And at last, we spot a black Mercedes pulling up to the small strip mall at the end of Main Street, not far from the pier.
"There they are," Lily says, pretending to check her phone. "Addie has to get a new outfit every week, but it's really just another burgundy skirt. They also hit up the salon, too. All those little stores are connected."
We go inside the strip mall before anyone gets out of the black car, and I'm careful not to look at it. I'm guessing it's less suspicious if we lead instead of follow. The stores inside all surround a central cafe area, which isn't even serving food yet, and Lily and I head inside the small outlet store that clearly has a gothic section.
And as we pretend to browse the purses near that part of the store, Addie and two friends come in. Both are older girls who could be college-aged, one with brown hair and the other with sandy blond. They could pass as being related to Addie.
The three ignore us and gather near the rack of skirts. Predictable.
I open a purse and look inside as the three whisper, clearly in a conversation not meant for other ears. Lily winks at me. It's my job to listen.
So I reach for that hunger and think of hunting, and my hearing pops. Every whisper Addie and the others make turns clear as if someone's slapped a hearing aid on me, even though they're twenty feet away.
I put the purse back and reach for another.
"...Idiot. Fell for a Nightside," Addie grumbles.
"What? Riley?" one of the older girls asks. "I knew he was different, but he wouldn't do something like that."
It takes everything I have to tap Lily's shoulder and show her the purse. Like I'm having fun.
"Well, he did. Father found out he was trying to help the Nightside and her mother get out of town."
"And then what?" The other girl.
"You weren't here when Father threw him in the dungeons. Father's too soft. Couldn't bear to kill him. Treason should be death." Addie throws a skirt back on the rack as if it's wronged her.
"Well, we were on guard duty. I was wondering why we hadn't seen him in days," the third girl says.
I look to Lily and nod.
She nods back and motions to another purse.
But we don't dare leave too quickly. Once Addie moves on to talking about clothes and not Riley, Lily and I feel safe to move on. Lily buys a purse from the lady working the counter and we leave Addie and the others behind, who have long since moved on to silence.
And we don't stop until we're out of the mall and back out in the mist.
"What did you hear?" Lily asks. "You were looking at me like you picked up something juicy."
"Where do the Beaumonts have their dungeons?"
Lily's jaw drops. "I've heard they have cells under their mansion that they keep guarded in case one of their own breaks a truce or breaks the law."
"And Riley broke the law. They know. They all somehow know and now they've got him there." I'd been close to finding him last night. Riley must have been two floors below me the whole time I was checking out the house.
"That won't be easy to get to," Lily says, working her jaw.
We walk and I check behind me yet again. Addie and her friends are still in the mall, but the guy in the long green jacket and ski mask is out again, about a hundred feet back, walking with his hands in his pockets. My muscles tense. "Lily, do you know that guy in the mask?"
"He's probably just someone out walking," she says, following my gaze. "And no. I haven't seen him before."
"Well, we have to get Riley out of the cell before they decide to end his life," I choke out, turning away from the guy. I follow Lily around a corner, hoping the guy won't follow. What if he's another Beaumont? But he's not dressed like them and they always seem to be in groups, not alone.
"It will be a tough fight," Lily says, throwing her new purse over her shoulder. "The cells are always heavily guarded when they contain prisoners. It won't be a matter of just letting Riley out of his cell. Trying to free him will escalate tensions to a full-out war."
My throat dries out. "Then what do we do?" Panic makes my heart race and I'm going to go crazy from the stress.
"I don't know. I'll ask my parents, but I doubt they'll want to launch such an attack. We would lose people. Lots of people."
We walk into a small restaurant next, and I watch as the mysterious guy walks past the window, peering in at us before quickly moving on. As Lily and I eat a late lunch, he walks past again, in the opposite direction, and by then I'm sure he's trailing us. And that his eyes have no trace of copper. He's not a Trueblood and he's not wearing contacts. Letting my senses heighten for just a second tells me that.
And better yet, my hearing tells me he's walking with a grace not seen in humans.
Could he be--
An idea hatches in my head.
What if he knows what I am?
What if he's even the rogue Nightside who's getting me blamed for the murders?
; What if he could even help me free Riley, or give me pointers on how to use that magic I'm supposed to have?
But I don't dare say this out loud to Lily as I finish choking down my food. She won't like the idea, but I'm cornered and have no other options. As soon as I can, I'm going to follow that guy and confront him.
Chapter Nineteen
Though I can tell Lily doesn't want to leave me alone once we leave the restaurant, I appreciate it. I insist I'll be fine on the way home, that I can defend myself, and I also remind her that if her parents see me fighting with inhuman speed, they'll turn on me for sure. That last point gets her thinking.
“Are you sure you'll be fine, following this guy?” She leans against the restaurant we just left.
“Riley taught me how to fight. I have a chance.” As we stand on the sidewalk in the fading light, I look up and down the street. The man isn't standing there anymore, but I know he's close. He last walked in the direction of the pier.
Lily nods. “That might be the safest option, then. If he wanted to hurt us, I suppose he would have by now.”
“I thought you were the hunter.”
“Well, the Truebloods always hang in groups. If the guy's a Nightside, you'll be the one to get to him.”
Lily trusts me. She's so different than Riley was at first.
“And I'll be fine. I promise,” I say.
We separate, walking in opposite directions, and I let my senses sharpen as I approach the direction of the pier. Making sure I have my phone just in case, I listen.
And the man in the green jacket walks out from around a corner in front of me, surveys me for a few seconds, and walks briskly in the other direction.
“Hey,” I say, as we're the only two people out in this crappy weather. A single car rolls past, but the couple inside are old and obviously human.
He doesn't respond. As if he wants me to follow him.
So I do.
The man walks past the pier and then turns right to walk down the coast. I follow him down a paved trail that I've never explored as he ups his pace. We're both walking away from civilization. Away from the Beaumont mansion, too. I tense. There's always the chance this is the trap the Beaumonts have been waiting to spring on me, but other than a pair of deer, I sense no movement in the thickening trees ahead. We pass a small park where no children play and the swings drip with moisture. I pull my hoodie closer to myself. Whoever is stalking me was able to see past my disguise.
And he's walking too fast to be human.
Yes. A vampire for sure. I sniff, but he gives off no smell, unlike the deer and the people I've sensed while in this state. He walks with incredible grace. Speed. And I follow so fast that the surrounding world seems to blur. We walk faster and faster, following trail after trail until they turn from pavement to wood chips. The light fades by the minute and I'm getting my doubts. Why would he take me out to isolation like this if he just wanted to talk?
But still I sense no movement around me. The rest of the world is cold, damp, and still.
And at last, the man, still fifty feet ahead of me, veers off into a clump of weeds. I follow, hoping I'm not about to see him taking a leak, and when I reach a clearing on the other side of the weeds, I find the green jacket man waiting for me, both arms down, almost like he's welcoming.
“Hello?” I ask. Riley told me that enemies are usually tense when they attack, and the Truebloods, anyway, like to sneak up on people and play with their food. This man is just waiting.
“You are a Nightside.”
His words are abnormally deep, almost like he's using one of those Halloween voice changers, but there can't be anything under his mask. Other than the creepy effect, he sounds almost friendly. “How did you know?” I ask.
“The way you move. You've also been trailing the Beaumonts. The humans of this town are rarely brave enough to try.”
“No kidding.” Though my heart races and I'm ready to fight, I keep my voice level. “Are you the one who's been killing the people of this town? I know that's a rude question, but--”
He flinches. “I'm not the murderer. For the past several days, I've been searching for the real killer without an ounce of luck.”
He's angry. Honest. “Do you know who it is?” If he thought I was onto him, he would have attacked by now. Or spun a very long story trying to convince me otherwise. Dad always said liars did that. But he's perfectly calm. "So, you're a Nightside too."
“I am a Nightside, yes.”
“What's your name? And why are you wearing that mask?”
He adjusts it, sliding it up higher over his deep brown eyes. “Name's Ned. With the Beaumonts on such high alert, I have to wear this itchy mask. They've seen me before. And it's cold outside. What do you expect?"
So he has a sense of humor, too. “I need help. The Beaumonts suspect me of being the killer and they know what I am. I don't know how, but they do. I can fight, but I need to know how to use my magic so I can stand a better chance. My mother and I are trapped here and the only thing keeping us alive is a local hunter family and luck.” It will run out soon.
“Yes. That was my intent in bringing you out here. I am gathering a coven of Nightsides so we can fight the Beaumonts and destroy their hold over Moon's Peak. Once that happens, you and your mother will be safe.”
A wave of dizziness sweeps over me. Seriously? He wants to attack the whole Beaumont coven? The guy lifts up his mask to reveal a middle-aged face with high cheeks and thick eyebrows. I've never seen this guy before, and as I look at him, I feel spaced out.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
He grins. “Magic. Think of this as a demonstration. I can teach you to use it, too. Do you want to join the fight against the Beaumonts?” He slides his mask back down, and instantly the air clears of the fuzzy feeling.
Oh. “You just did blood magic on me.”
“Yes. You can use it to distract your enemies, make them see things that aren't there, or make them do what you want, once you get really good. Or you can just put them in a daze as I did with you.”
“Teach me. Please.”
“Will you join us?” Ned asks. He's dangling a prize in front of my face.
I can see where this is going. But Ned here is my best choice. My best chance. “Look, I'll join you under two conditions. One. You teach me how to use this blood magic Two. You help me free Riley Beaumont, who the coven is keeping under their mansion under heavy guard.”
“Ah. The boy you've been with. He's a Beaumont.” Ned's not happy. "They hate us Nightsides. They tried to use me as a slave a long time ago and after I escaped, they've never forgiven our entire kind."
“But he's not like them,” I say. “Please. He's the only reason I'm still alive so far.”
“He's the reason you are a Nightside.” Sadness fills his voice. Sheesh, Ned reminds me of Dad the time I brought home a crappy report card in the fourth grade. Sad for me, but not angry. And that somehow worked better on me than punishment. But it won't work for this.
“I'm learning to live with it. If the Beaumonts are gone, I won't have to worry anymore. I can deal.”
“He must have some loyalty to his coven.”
“After they locked him up? Trust me. Riley does not. And have you met his cousin?”
“No, but I can imagine.”
“So deal or no deal,” I say.
“Then you have a deal,” Ned says. “I will begin training you to use your magic right now.”
* * * * *
Like Riley, Ned has me do my first mind control practice on a random deer.
Sure, he's a stranger, and still wearing a ski mask like a horror movie slasher, but I'm not uncomfortable around him. Of course, he has no reason to attack me.
“Just focus. Feel the animal's life force. Then grab onto it with your mind.”
I breathe out, feeling stupid, but Ned sounds so informal that it actually helps. The deer stands in the trees a hundred feet ahead, grazing, and I can smell its blood f
rom here. The smell tries to overtake my senses and my stomach rumbles loud enough for Ned to hear.
“No. Don't let that happen, or you'll never focus on your magic. Shove the hunger aside. Look at the outline of the deer. Imagine that you are the deer. Not romantic, but it works.”
I try that, and instantly I feel as if I'm in two places at once: standing beside Ned and also in the body of the deer, looking down at some damp, half-chewed grass. I'm in control of the animal.
“Got it?”
Ned sounds far away. But I speak. “Got it.” Was it really this simple all the time?
“You're the deer. Walk towards you."
“This is some horror movie stuff.”
“I agree.” Ned pats my shoulder. But at least there's nothing creepy about it.
But I'm in control. Keeping my eyes open, I lift the deer's head as if it were my own. It's strange, being in two places at once. But it's bearable. The deer is clouded. In a daze, as I was when Ned lifted his mask.
And I guide the animal towards us.
“Now stop. We're not done yet.”
I shake my head, loosening my grip on the deer and snapping back. It's closed half the distance between us, and now looks around like it's all confused. I can't blame it.
“I can do this to Truebloods, too?”
“Well, one at a time. It beats nothing,” Ned says.
“No wonder they hate us. So, now what?” The deer flicks one ear but doesn't dare make a sound. This creature knows there are predators in the area, but not what to do. And I feel sorry for it, because I've felt the same.
“Now feel for the deer's blood. Control its body.”
So this is blood magic. I smell first, and then I focus on the deer's body, its beating heart, and the liquid pulsing through its veins. Instantly I feel a new kind of control, not just of the creature's intent but of its muscles, its nerves, and its body. The deer's heart races with panic as I urge it towards us.