Shadow

by Christi J. Whitney

  She packed the remaining containers and gathered the basket. Our picnic had come to an end. I leapt from the table and folded the blanket. The clouds were heavier, and the sun was invisible. It would make for an easy flight back to the clearing.

  ‘Are you up for a hike?’ she asked suddenly.

  ‘I’d love to, but are you sure you have time?’ My gaze darted to the sky. ‘It’s getting late.’

  She crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. ‘That remark bordered more on guardian and less on friend, just so you know.’ She pulled her cell phone from her pocket. ‘It’s only three o’clock, Sebastian. We’ll make it home for dinner.’

  ‘Then I guess it’s time for a friendly hike.’ A grin tugged at my lips. ‘How was that remark? Better?’

  ‘Much better.’

  I slipped my jacket on. We left the rest of our things on the picnic table and followed the arrow on the old wooden sign, the narrow trail, forcing us to walk single file. I allowed Josephine to take the lead, but I stayed right behind her.

  The woods were cool and shady, mostly free of undergrowth and carpeted with thick moss. Josephine chatted over her shoulder back at me, and I allowed my senses to focus on her voice – low and rich, flavored with whatever emotional undercurrent accompanied her topic of conversation.

  The more I listened to Josephine, the more I understood her. Our connection as guardian and charge had deepened since being together, but this was a different level entirely. The conversation opened doors to our lives we’d both kept closed before, and it gave me a sense of something more definable than just an invisible bond. It was sharing life – the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.

  Josephine told circus stories, and I added a few of my own about Hugo and the Gypsy Ink. Talking about my foster brother made me miss him more than I had in a while. I thought about the Corsi clan. I thought about Esmeralda. And I wondered when I’d see them again. I hadn’t realized I’d drifted out of the conversation until Josephine’s face flitted in front of mine. There was a panicked look in her eyes.

  ‘Put your hood up,’ she ordered. I blinked at her, not understanding. Josephine tugged on my jacket urgently. ‘Hurry, Sebastian. There are people coming down the trail.’

  18. Close Distance

  I saw the group approaching – seven teenagers – laughing as they chucked empty beer cans down the side of the mountain. It was Drew Garrett and other members of the football team. A group I’d never cared for. They felt the same about me. I yanked my hood low over my forehead, concealing my horns.

  Panic raced up my spine. No one outside of the Roma had seen me since I’d changed. I stared at Josephine in frantic desperation as it all hit me at once. I wasn’t normal. People couldn’t see me like this. The Gypsies accepted me, even if they didn’t like me. But these guys were part of the real world.

  My old world.

  The world I’d never be a part of again.

  ‘Sebastian,’ whispered Josephine, her voice mirroring my thoughts.

  Muscles tautened across my back, and I felt the familiar, dark stirrings creep up the base of my skull – my instincts taking over. I breathed hard through my nose, my vision going hazy. I tried to blink it away. The logical part of my brain screamed at me to run. Grab Josephine and book it down the path.

  ‘Sebastian …’

  Josephine’s voice was urgent. I felt her hands on the edges of my jacket.

  My eyes narrowed to slits as I honed in on the rapidly approaching group: the bright clothing flitting between the trees; the alcohol-scented breath; the harsh voices. People. Outsiders. Humans. My brain was slamming shut like gates on a castle. My vision tunneled. A snarl rippled along my lips.

  I felt my body moving forward.

  Then, without warning, Josephine shoved me against the trunk of an elm tree. Her arms wrapped around my head, pulled me down to her, blocking my face from view. Her cheek brushed against mine, our lips inches apart. I squeezed my eyes shut as emotions clawed up my throat like wild animals.

  I heard the voices of the football players. I heard every footstep and felt every lewd glance tossed in our direction. Josephine pulled me closer, holding me against her shoulder. I heard snide comments and the crunch of aluminum between fingers. I felt the rush of air as they passed by.

  As they passed by.

  They didn’t stop. They didn’t see me. My wings were crushed against the tree, obscured by my jacket. Josephine’s slender arms enveloped my head. I was hidden within the shadows she’d created. The footsteps grew fainter, and the voices dropped away. Their scent faded. But Josephine didn’t move. A new awareness of her embrace overwhelmed me.

  I couldn’t imagine anything more intense. Her soft, erratic breathing warmed my skin. I felt the tension in her arms, smelled her fear. Her lashes fluttered against my cheek like tiny butterflies. My arms slipped around the Gypsy girl, near but not touching; my fingers hovering just above her back. Josephine’s lips were so close. I wanted to kiss her with an insane, crippling desperation. I was suffocating, and she was the air I needed.

  My hands clenched into fists. I was doing it again. Being utterly selfish. I squeezed harder, and the pain of cut flesh in my palms steadied me. I pressed my arms defiantly against my sides. When I opened my eyes, Josephine was looking at me. God, the way she was looking at me.

  I blinked at her, but the haze around her face wouldn’t clear; the red edges remained around my peripheral. I shook my head fiercely. I needed space, a chance to breathe. I curled my hands tighter and forced my feet to move, to break free from the torture. I spun away from Josephine. My foot landed sideways on a crumpled beer can, and I stumbled forward.

  ‘Sebastian, are you okay?’

  The sight of the can, combined with the smell, stirred the fire inside me again. I dropped into a crouch, and yanked the hood from my matted hair. I focused on a bright clump of moss, fighting to regain my control. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘They’re gone,’ she said.

  The calm sound of Josephine’s voice eased the pounding in my head. I mentally pushed back against the haze and it subsided. I stood up, straightened my shoulders, and slowly opened my fists. ‘Good.’

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ Josephine brushed her hair out of her eyes. ‘I couldn’t think of anything else to do. If those guys saw you—’

  ‘I know,’ I replied, leaning against the tree, trying to regulate my breathing and speak around the thickness in my voice. ‘It was quick thinking on your part.’

  ‘Sebastian, what’d you do to your hands?’

  Drops of inhumanly purple-black blood pooled in my palms, and a trickle ran along the edge of my skin, disappearing into the cuffs of my jacket.

  ‘It’s nothing.’ I brushed them off against my jeans. ‘And I’m the one who should be apologizing. I never got along with those guys in high school, and I guess seeing them sort of set me off. I’ve not been that great at controlling my … um … instincts … lately.’

  Josephine’s suspicious look turned to open curiosity. ‘You scared me for a minute there. You had that wild look you sometimes get in your eyes, all fierce and flashing. I thought you were going after them.’

  I exhaled, and it came out like a growling sigh. ‘Yeah, I think I would’ve, too, if you hadn’t stopped me. It’s ridiculous. I don’t know what happens to me, sometimes. It’s like a rush of impulses in my head, and everything gets hazy.’

  ‘Instincts,’ repeated Josephine.

  I grimaced. ‘It’s kind of hard to explain.’

  She took a step closer to me. ‘Can you try?’

  I took off my jacket and pressed the fabric into my palms, concentrating on blotting away the blood so I wouldn’t have to look at her. I felt suddenly raw, like she’d ripped off my skin and was staring right into my soul. ‘It’s like there’s two parts inside me. There’s me. And there’s … something else. Most of the time, I feel like I’m in charge. But lately, it seems like the other part has gotten a lot stronger. It just takes over.’ />
  ‘And this other part,’ said Josephine slowly. ‘You mean—’

  ‘I don’t know how to reconcile the two.’ I wrung the jacket in my hands. ‘I don’t know how they’re supposed to work together, or even if that’s possible. I keep trying not to feel like a gargoyle, but what if that’s exactly what I’m supposed to do? I want to embrace what I am, like Karl says, but it scares me.’

  Josephine was silent. Finally, I glanced up. She was looking past me, off into the woods. Her expression held the burden I’d witnessed before. ‘I’m not going to pretend I get what you’re going through, Sebastian. But I do understand what that feels like to be scared of something you can’t control.’ Her eyes flicked back to me. ‘But you don’t have to be afraid. You’ve got me, now. We’ll look out for each other, okay?’

  Warmth burst inside my chest, and I couldn’t help the smile that worked its way across my lips. ‘Well, If I read the handbook right, I’m supposed to be the one protecting you.’

  Josephine pushed up her sleeves and ran her fingers through her hair, combing out the tangles. ‘Technically. But friends have each other’s backs. So you’re going to just have to deal with that, Sebastian Grey.’

  The way she said my name sent the heat in my chest straight to my head. ‘Looks like you’re not giving me much choice.’

  ‘Nope,’ she replied.

  ‘I guess I’ll deal with it, then.’ I wadded up my jacket and tucked it under my arm, feeling steady. My crackling emotions were dormant once again. ‘Although you may live to regret it. I’m very high maintenance.’

  ‘I can’t imagine you being worse than Katie.’

  Our smiles dropped at the same time.

  ‘Have you heard from her?’ I asked hesitantly.

  ‘I wasn’t allowed to make contact this time. Father never liked the amount of interaction Francis and I had with the gadje, but he tolerated it.’ Josephine shrugged. ‘Besides, she’s still in New York, right?’

  My brows rose. ‘How did you—’

  ‘We may have exchanged a few texts,’ she added with another lift of her shoulders. ‘What about you?’

  ‘I went to her graduation party,’ I replied. It was Josephine’s turn to look surprised, and I felt my face twitch. ‘Actually, I just stalked it. In disguise. A really bad disguise. But it wasn’t my best idea. She nearly saw the … new me.’

  ‘Have you considered telling her the truth?’

  ‘I can’t. She’s not a Gypsy. And I couldn’t do that to her.’ A tremor went through my wings from the base of my shoulders continuing all the way out to the tips. ‘Besides, she freaks out over zombie movies. And bats. This would probably be a bit much.’ I managed to keep my voice light, but a cold lump settled in my chest, and I sighed. ‘I miss her.’

  ‘I miss her, too,’ Josephine said, reaching out to touch my arm.

  We stared at each other, and I felt our strange connection pass between us. It stitched me up and sliced me open at the same time. I broke the gaze and studied my palms. The bleeding from my claw wounds had stopped, and the eight small cuts had already scabbed over.

  ‘Well, you’re just Mr Supernatural, aren’t you?’ she said, clearly impressed.

  ‘Just scratches, Josephine, nothing out of the ordinary.’

  ‘So says the guy with wings.’ Before I could reply, she looped her arm in mine and started up the trail. ‘Well, now that we’ve had our fun little detour, we’d better get going. It’s still a way to the top.’

  The current between us swirled into a comfortable hum as she led the way. Only the faint stinging in my palms reminded me of just how close we’d been to each other. We rounded a bend and the trail suddenly forked. The right side was a continuation of the path we’d been taking. The left side turned into a set of steps carved out of granite. A wooden rail flanked the staircase and, at its base, a sign indicated the way led to Lover’s Leap.

  ‘So where to?’ I asked.

  Josephine ran her fingers over the carved arrow in the sign. ‘I’ve got to admit, I’m curious about any place with a name like that,’ she replied. ‘I say we take the stairs.’

  The stone steps were wider than the trail, and we were able to walk side by side. I’d frequented Copper Mountain over the last couple of years, and I’d seen most of the points of interest. I couldn’t blame Josephine for being curious about this one.

  Our conversation lulled as we climbed. By the time we had reached the top, there was only amicable silence between us. The last step opened up into a flat expanse of granite. The wind gusted stronger, hinting at our near proximity to the edge of the mountain. The overcast sky peeked through the thinning trees.

  And then, we were in the open. The landscape spread below us in rich detail. The colors sharpened by the darkening sky. Ribbons of roads, splotches of developments, and patches of concrete displayed the visible evidence of humanity’s encroachment on Mother Nature. Miles of forests and meadow stretched before us, disappearing into the misty peaks of the Appalachian Mountains on the distant horizon.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ breathed Josephine.

  ‘Yeah,’ I answered, totally unconcerned with the scenery.

  Josephine, thankfully, was too busy looking around to notice. Her lips pursed in thought. ‘I don’t really understand why it’s called Lover’s Leap, though.’

  ‘This isn’t Lover’s Leap, Josephine.’ I lifted my hand and pointed. ‘That is.’

  19. Sweet Agony

  Twenty yards above where we stood, an enormous chunk of granite jutted from the side of Copper Mountain, its jagged form prominent against the backdrop of clouds stretching across the sky. The plateau of rock extended several yards over a sharp ravine.

  ‘Oh,’ Josephine said near my ear. ‘Now I get it.’

  The lump of rock was impressive – dark and foreboding, like an awe-inspiring testament to nature. A thin footpath ran in the direction of the granite cliff, disappearing just inside the tree line. I looked at Josephine, questioning, and she nodded enthusiastically.

  We made for the rock, weaving through the trees along the narrow trail. Another flight of stone steps greeted us, with another sign. Josephine blew right past it, and I followed close behind, taking two steps at a time.

  Suddenly we were on the rock, and the world opened up before us. The view was more breathtaking than before. A safety rail guarded the perimeter, keeping enthusiastic hikers from walking too close to the edge. Josephine leaned over the metal bar, her eyes bright.

  ‘This is incredible,’ she said, breathless. ‘I wonder what the story is behind it.’

  I looked over the side of the plateau with the fierce drop-off and the rushing stream below. ‘It’s an old Native American legend.’

  Her curious eyes darted to my face. ‘Really?’

  I’d heard the tale in history class once, and for some reason, it had stayed with me. Josephine waited in expectation for her lesson, and I wasn’t about to refuse.

  ‘A long time ago, two Indian tribes lived on this mountain, and they were enemies. The chief of one tribe had a daughter, and she secretly fell in love with a brave from the opposing tribe.’

  ‘A story of forbidden love,’ Josephine surmised with a knowing smile. ‘Now you’re really going to have to tell me the whole thing.’

  ‘Well, the girl was promised to a prominent warrior in her own tribe,’ I continued, ‘but she didn’t love him. Her father, the chief, demanded that she marry him. But the girl was stubborn.’ I grinned sideways at Josephine. ‘Instead, she began meeting the young brave every night in secret at this rock, under the cover of darkness. But one evening, fate was not on their side.’

  ‘Go on,’ said Josephine, nudging me playfully in the ribs.

  ‘The girl was followed by the warrior, who’d grown suspicious. When he reached the rock, he saw the lovers together. Furious, the warrior returned to the village and told the chief. A small band of men hurried to the rock. They captured the brave and tied him up. The chief ordered him
thrown over the side of the cliff. But the girl – when she saw the brave fall to his death – broke free and leapt from the rock, choosing to die with her love rather than live without him.’

  My eyes drifted to the gorge below as I finished. Something warm touched my hand. Josephine’s fingers pressed over mine.

  ‘That’s some story,’ she said, her voice more serious. ‘I wonder if it’s true.’

  ‘Either way, it’s how the rock got its name.’

  We stood there looking over the precipice as the wind sifted through our hair and clothes. I closed my eyes, enjoying the breeze, until Josephine’s soft laughter brought me back. I glanced over, confused.

  ‘What is it?’ I asked.

  ‘I guess we should probably find a place to hang that’s not on the path. You’re a little conspicuous.’

  She pulled her hand from mine, and her gaze went from my face to my wings. They’d unfurled in the few moments I’d allowed myself to relax, splayed out on the mossy granite around my feet.

  I snapped them back into place. ‘Yeah, definitely not in the mood for any more close calls today. Besides, it looks like it may rain soon. Maybe we should think about returning to the Fairgrounds.’

  ‘Not yet, Sebastian, please,’ she said. I felt curls of emotion inside the pit of my stomach, which I knew were coming from Josephine, but I didn’t understand them. She took a deep breath. ‘I’m just not ready to return to real life yet.’

  ‘Okay.’ I surveyed the height of the railing for a moment before leaping over it. I offered her my hand. ‘Then allow me to take you on the unofficial tour of Lover’s Leap. But we’ll just keep this between you and me. Park rangers aren’t real keen on this sort of thing.’

  ‘I’ll keep that in mind,’ she said as she took my hand and swung herself over the railing with a performer’s grace. On the other side was a groove in the rock just large enough to sit in without impeding the view. Josephine settled in and patted a place next to her. ‘This spot’s perfect.’