Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “Vince included?” I grin, grateful for the change in topic.

  She knows me all too well. “So you like Vince now?”

  I shrug. “Don’t know.”

  “Tell you what. I’ll try to get new hottie tomorrow, and if he gives me the cold shoulder like he did Lauren, you can have him. Or Vince. He’s a friend, but I definitely don’t see him that way. You know who’s looking fine these days?” Brianna doesn’t wait for a guess. “Sean.”

  I shake my head. “Paula likes him.”

  Does she? I’m just basing this on the vision. Maybe it’s wrong.

  “Really? How did I not know this? Oh, yeah, because Paula doesn’t know how to flirt or get a guy. Forget new guy, you can have him. I’ll help make sure Paula gets Sean.” She taps a finger to her lips. “Sean would be her first real boyfriend, right?”

  “I think so.”

  “Yeah, I gotta help her out. Once I’m done with Paula, he won’t be able to ask her out fast enough.” She giggles. “Maybe I should start a dating service.”

  I laugh. Brianna and her projects. She always has one, some baking, some not. Knowing Paula, she’ll appreciate any help she can get.

  And if Bri can prevent that scene from the spell from happening, so much the better. I don’t want Sean to make Paula cry, and I sure don’t want to use magic to get them to kiss.

  Bri rolls onto her stomach. “I’m sorry you never got to meet your real parents.”

  “Me too.”

  “We don’t have to talk about them unless you want to, okay? I’ll never bring them up again.”

  “Thanks, Bri.” No one understands me like she does.

  Her cell rings. “Oh, hi, Mom.”

  I stare at the picture of my parents. A sense of loss burns within me. I’ll give anything to meet them.

  Somehow, I know magic can’t make that happen. That spell was the closest I’d ever come to seeing them.

  Bri closes her phone and slips it into her jeans. “Gotta run. My mom needs me home, and I have to pick up milk. Eat some chocolate. Chocolate makes everything better.”

  I laugh again. Chocolate can’t make this better, not unless I eat a ton of it, and even then, I’ll probably just gain twenty pounds.

  We hug, and my best friend leaves.

  Not even a minute later, Mom cracks open my bedroom door. “I forgot to give you your birthday present.”

  “Come in.” I plaster a smile on my face, both wanting to be alone and wanting company.

  She holds out a small box. “Be careful with this,” she warns. “It used to be my great grandmother’s.”

  I open the box to reveal a small delicate bracelet. It’s golden with small lilacs carved into it. As I press my fingers against the largest lilac, a soft hum sounds.

  “Do you hear that?” I ask.

  “Hear what? I’ll help.” She clips the bracelet onto my right wrist.

  “It’s beautiful. Thank you, Mom.” I hug her, and it almost feels like good times.

  She fiddles with her earring. “You don’t have to call me Mom anymore if you don’t want to.” She holds my arms near my elbows. “You can call me Aunt or Patricia or whatever makes you most comfortable.”

  I smile, but since I don’t know what I want to call her, I say nothing.

  “Now get some work done.” She waves and exits the room.

  As much as I want to push aside my homework, I remember Silver Tiger’s comment about my grades so I study until sleep claims me, this time for the night.

  * * *

  THE NEXT DAY, I weave my way through the crush of students, drop my library pass into the basket, and smile at the librarian. In the back near the reference books is a small, metal table with two computers on it. So much more privacy here than at the computer lab.

  Eager to get started, I sit down at a computer and log in. A few clicks later, and I’m searching for more details about my dead parents. Can’t risk looking up witchcraft here. I’ll have to do that sometime when Patricia isn’t home.

  A few minutes later, someone sits down next to me. I continue working until the person asks, “Password?”

  I look over and do a double take. He’s the guy from the cauldron, the one who looks at me as if I’m beautiful, the one who fights with me in the forest.

  To recover my surprise, I clear my throat. “All students have the same password. It’s claymore. Not very original if you ask me.”

  “Thanks.” He types some. “There we go.” Dimples appear when he grins. “I’m Gavin.”

  “Crystal. So you’re the new guy.”

  He grimaces. “Hate that term, but yes.”

  “I’m sorry. Do you move around a lot?”

  Gavin nods. “My dad’s job requires a lot of relocations, but supposedly, we’ll be sticking around here for a long time. I hope so.” His deep blue eyes brighten.

  I grin. “Good. You’ll like it here. It’s a small town, one where everyone knows everyone—”

  “Which makes ‘the new guy’ stick out all the more.” The shine in his eyes fades. “Sorry. I’m sure it’s great here.”

  I think of witches and of my supposedly being magic, and suddenly living in Mount Claymore doesn’t seem so safe anymore. Doesn’t magic always have consequences in books and movies? Drawbacks? Limitations? What are mine?

  Have I a lot of questions for the witches tonight!

  I retreat from my thoughts. “I’ve lived here my whole life.”

  “Must be nice to have roots.” He runs his fingers through his gelled dark blond hair, messing it up a little. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually so…”

  “Open?” I supply.

  His laugh is a pleasantly deep sound. “I was going to say moody.”

  “I’m sure you’ve been to more interesting places than Mount Claymore.” My research all but forgotten, I shift in my seat to face him better.

  His eyes darken. “Some good, some bad. Interesting, yes. One place we only lived for a month. The town was filled with such shady people, and my mom begged my dad to move every day. Finally, he called up his work and asked for a transfer.”

  “Wow. What kind of work does your dad do?”

  “He’s in business.” Gavin shrugs. “I don’t pay much attention to it, except for when it makes me start all over again.”

  “It must be hard to leave so many friends behind.”

  “I don’t usually bother to make friends. The longest we’re stayed in a city was six months. It’s not worth it.”

  Geez. “That’s so sad. I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t want your pity.”

  I swallow back another apology. “No friends means no girlfriend, right?” Heat floods to my cheeks. That’s bold for me.

  He arches his eyebrows. “No girlfriend. I’ve never had one.”

  Now that’s hard to believe. He looks tall even while sitting, and he has some muscles on him, not bulky like football players, but sculpted, toned. His features are strong, and his tan skin makes his teeth look dazzling white.

  “You approve?” he asks.

  I sit back in my seat, staring at the screen. My face has to be bright red. “I’m sorry—”

  He shakes a finger at me. “Stop saying you’re sorry.”

  “Sorry.” I grin. “Whoops.”

  We laugh as the bell rings.

  “Now I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you from your work.” He nods toward my computer.

  I log off. “Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t for school.”

  “Doesn’t mean it wasn’t important.”

  Perceptive.

  I wait while he logs off. “I have lunch now.”

  “Me too.” He stands and runs his fingers through his hair, making some ends stick up. Kinda cute, and wow, he’s tall, around six foot. I don’t even come up to his shoulders. “I know for all my macho talk about being a loner this is going to sound kinda lame but—”

  “Sure you can sit with me and my friends.”

  �
�Thanks.”

  We walk out of the library together. “You didn’t get to use the computer either,” I point out.

  “That’s ok. I just wanted to get away from the stares and whispers in study hall. No big deal.”

  Somehow, we beat all of my friends to our normal table in the cafeteria. I jerk my thumb to the long line of students waiting to buy food. “The food’s actually pretty good here.”

  “I’ll have to keep that in mind. I packed lunch today.” He sits down.

  “So did I.” I sit across from him, remove my lunch bag from my backpack, and begin to eat my ham and cheese sandwich.

  I spy Sean and Paula in line, talking and laughing. He tweaks her nose before walking away to talk to another friend farther back in line.

  Paula colors slightly.

  “Oh…” I gasp. So Paula does like Sean! She looks so content, sneaking peeks at him.

  Gavin raises his eyebrows.

  “Be right back.” I hurry over and knock my shoulder into Paula’s. “When did you start liking Sean?” I whisper.

  Her blush deepens and spreads to her neck. “I-I don’t k-know.”

  Wow, she has it bad. She mastered her stutter back in grade school.

  I stop teasing. “You two would make a cute couple.”

  “We’re just friends.”

  “For now.” I nod knowingly. “Talk to Heather and see if you and Sean and her and Alan can go see a movie together.”

  “Like a double date?” She fiddles with her hair.

  “If you and Sean want to consider it that. Heather’s dying for someone to double with them.”

  Her smile lights up her face. “I’ll go ask her. Maybe Friday. Thanks, Crystal!”

  “Anytime.” I grin and return to my seat. Between Bri and I, hopefully Paula and Sean will happen.

  But now I need to take a step back and leave it up to Bri and Paula. I don’t want my helping them through magic to become a possibility.

  Another vision from the spell comes to me, the one where I’m dead. I’ve been trying to block it from my mind, but that darkness, the shadows, me bleeding… The sight won’t leave me alone.

  Someone plops down beside me.

  I look over and shriek. “What did you do?”

  Vince rubs his head self-consciously. “It’s not that big a deal. It’s just a haircut.”

  “It’s so short.” Before I think about what I’m doing, I rub his head. Soft peach fuzz, that’s all he has left of his longish, always-in-need-of-a-cut hair.

  He raises his eyebrows and grins. “Isn’t that the point of a haircut?” he teases.

  I gasp. The visions of my future—my hair had been a little longer than it is now. Can a simple haircut be a way to ensure the future is changed?

  Why not find out? I certainly don’t want to die any time soon.

  “You inspire me, Vince.” I smile, almost giddy. “I’m gonna get my haircut tonight.”

  “Really? Haven’t you been trying to grow it out for forever?”

  I blink, surprised he knew that. “It doesn’t matter. It never grows past my shoulders.”

  “How short are you going to get it cut?” Gavin cuts in.

  I slap my cheek. I’m so rude! “Gavin, this is Vince. Vince, Gavin.”

  Gavin laughs easily. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “He has a point.” Vince juts his chin toward Gavin. “How short?”

  I shrug one shoulder. “Haven’t thought that far yet.”

  Gavin leans across the table and touches just below my left ear. “You would look good with it cut really short.”

  “You think?” I hold my breath, not wanting to move. I never had a real boyfriend, never really worried about dating and boys and all that. Now that I’m starting to think about Vince in a different way, along comes Gavin. Boys are so much simpler when you only think of them as friends.

  “Nah, that’s too short. Here.” Vince touches halfway down my neck.

  Gavin tilts his head. “That could work too I guess. I’m no hair expert.”

  “Hair?” Bri bounces into view. “Ack! Vince! Your hair! It’s gone.”

  “You should be a detective.” He snorts.

  “Crystal wants to get her hair cut,” Gavin says.

  Brianna looks from Gavin to me to Vince to me again. Her broad grin makes me squirm. She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively and starts to sit down but pops back up. “There’s Paula. Gotta go.”

  I shake my head. Poor girl. Paula will never be the same.

  The rest of my friends show up, and the conversation shifts from hair to classes and movies. Gavin grows quiet and only talks to Vince or me.

  Before lunch ends, I screw up my courage and turn to Vince. “Do you think you could walk with me to get my haircut?”

  “Sure.”

  “Thanks.” My heart sinks. He doesn’t seem that enthused. Not that a haircut is a date, but for so long, Patricia pushed me toward Vince and now that I’m finally willing, Vince seems oblivious.

  The bell rings, and Gavin quickly grabs his schedule from his backpack. “English,” he mumbles to himself.

  “Do you know where that is?” I ask.

  “Yeah. I had history next to it earlier. I got lost yesterday, though. Could have used your help then.”

  “I needed a mental health day.”

  Vince snorts again. “There’s nothing wrong with you mentally, other than your obsession with religion.”

  I bat my eyes. “I am going to talk to Father Joseph tonight. Wanna come with?”

  Vince looks down at his sneakers. “Gotta get to class.”

  I’m such an idiot. Father Joseph performed the funeral service for Tommy.

  I nod to Gavin and hurry to catch up to Vince. “I’m sorry.” I wince. All I’m doing today is apologizing. “I was going to mention this during our walk, but I was thinking about organizing a memorial service for Tommy, if that’s all right with you and your parents.”

  “Yeah, that would be nice. Thanks.”

  He has an amazing smile. His entire face lights up. I never noticed that before.

  We walk to science class together. Before we reach the door, he turns to me. “I don’t mean to be such a jerk about religion all the time,” he mutters.

  I touch his arm and then pull back as if I’ve been burned. Flirting’s definitely not my thing. Maybe I should be Bri’s project instead of Paula. “I know you don’t mean it.”

  “Maybe not all of it.” His eyes sparkle as they always did when he teases me so I’m surprised when he adds, “You know, you aren’t like most girls. They just care about clothes and makeup and all that.”

  “Haircuts.” I fluff my hair as we sit down in our seats. Class’ll start any minute, but I pray for time so we can finish our conversation.

  He waves my comment away. “You’re more serious. Grounded. Real. I like that.”

  I grin. “Thanks.”

  I don’t mind if class starts now.

  And it does.

  Chapter 10

  AFTER SCHOOL, I wait for Vince outside the main entrance. It’s silly to feel nervous. I’ve known him for forever. Gah, stupid butterflies.

  Bri jogs over. “Crystal. Good. You haven’t left yet.” She brushes her bangs back. “There’s been a setback. Sean said yes to the double-date-that’s-not-really-a-double-date. Later on, I was talking to Paula about it, and well, he overheard me and asked me to come along.”

  “What did you say?”

  Vince exits the door and walks over. “You ready to go?”

  I hold up a finger. “Just a sec.”

  Bri frowns, looking miserable. “I said I was busy. He insisted so Paula insisted. And then he asked me out.”

  “For a date?”

  “Yeah. I said no, but Paula’s devastated. I don’t know what to do. I kinda like him, but Paula’s such a sweetheart and I don’t wanna hurt her. Why can’t he just like her? Would make life so much easier.” Her sigh is epic. Everything is epic where Bri’s co
ncerned.

  “Nothing about life is easy. What’re you going to do now?”

  “Still help Paula. Makeover tonight, clothes shopping tomorrow.” She shakes her head. “Can’t believe you’re cutting your hair. You’ve always wanted long hair!”

  “Yeah, but it doesn’t grow. It’s time for a change.”

  “See ya. Bye, Vince.” With a wave, she runs toward the parking lot.

  “Paula likes Sean?” Vince asks. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Yeah.”

  “And Brianna does too.”

  “For now. You know her. She likes everyone for a week or two.”

  “Still, it’s nice that she’s not trying to steal Sean away from Paula.”

  We fall into step beside each other. “Yeah, she wants to help her.” I bite my lower lip. Talking to Vince used to be so easy. How many times am I going to say “yeah”?

  “Makeover and stuff.” Vince grimaces. “Don’t tell me you want your haircut because of a silly makeover for some guy.”

  I laugh. Nothing could be further from the truth. “Nope.”

  “Good. You don’t need a makeover.” His cheeks are a little red. “Neither does Paula.” Vince clears his throat. “A memorial service would be nice. I don’t think my parents will mind at all.”

  “I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”

  “Step away.” He knocks his shoulder into mine, and I giggle. “Why are you going to talk to Father Joseph tonight?”

  I stop walking. He continues for two steps before he stops and turns around. “I just found out that my parents died when I was really young, my dad before I was even born.”

  “But your mom—”

  “Is actually my aunt.” For some reason, it’s much easier to tell Vince than it had been with Brianna.

  “Wow.” He rubs his nearly shaven head. “That’s crazy.”

  “Isn’t it?” I suppress the urge to tell him everything. One step at a time. Besides, he’d never believe me about the whole magic thing anyhow.

  “You don’t remember your real mom at all?”