The street was crammed with cars and I’d had to park four blocks away. Navigating the icy sidewalks had not been fun. I’d texted Jasmine to see if she wanted to come with me, but she was busy. I wasn’t going to miss the party just because I didn’t have a sidekick, though. I knew Hutch and Vicki would keep me company.
I walked up to the house Hutch had given me the address to, and noticed a long line of people standing outside. I couldn’t figure out what they were doing, or why they’d elected to hang out in freezing temperatures instead of inside where it was warm. But it’s not wise to question the methods of the college mind. It’s the one time you can use your age as an excuse for all sorts of dumb things.
There were two cars in the driveway I couldn’t help but stop to ogle. A Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, and a Corvette Grand Sport Coupe. I used to think Alex and Emil were the only ones in town with such expensive cars. I guess I was wrong. A shiver ran through me. I decided even the cars weren’t enough reason to get frostbite, so I made my way inside.
As I walked in the house, there was a room to my right with a bunch of coats scattered on a bed. I stepped through the doorway into the gray and blue room. On the wall to my left hung a large tapestry depicting a medieval fight. I studied it while I pulled off my coat and wondered who exactly was throwing this party? Some rich kids with fancy cars and a fondness for the Crusades? I put my coat in the pile on top of the others, and adjusted my turquoise sweater.
Music pulsed from the living room as I made my way to the kitchen for a drink. I stood in line, waiting to peruse the options. When I got to the table, I found pretty much everything under the sun. A guy who must have been majoring in “drunk” was offering tips on all sorts of alcoholic beverages and mixed drinks. I was driving, and frankly, I’d rather eat my calories than drink them, so I stuck with lemonade and grabbed a napkin and a chocolate chip cookie on my way out of the kitchen.
I heard more noise coming from the basement. I looked at the steps, seeing a maze of people, but hazarded it anyway, navigating one couple doing their best to have sex on the stairs with their clothes still on, and a guy who was rapidly turning lighter shades of green. As I passed him I asked, “Liquor before beer?” He nodded miserably, the movement making him double over in pain. I’d seen people make the “liquor before beer” mistake. It never turned out well. The high alcohol content in liquor gets you drunk faster, so you lose your inhibitions and tend to drink more.
I got to the bottom of the stairs and looked around. The basement was as crowded as the upstairs had been, but it was a lot darker. The walls were painted a deep chocolate brown with teal accents. A large flat-screen TV with a state-of-the-art sound system was on, and people were challenging each other in Wii Sports. I took in the large room with only two small windows and the one exit point, which was currently blocked by people either kissing or near vomiting. A weird feeling settled over me. I was finding it difficult to separate my gut instincts from my paranoia lately. As I moved around the perimeter of the room, I tried to discern which was causing the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach.
Lost in thought, I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Hutch and Vicki, grinning like cats. “You came!” Vicki yelled.
“Yeah!” I said, smiling genuinely. “I’m glad you guys invited me.”
I really didn’t know how long I should stay. I knew Alex would be too busy to watch me in his ring, but who knew how long the meeting would take? I wasn’t sure where the meeting was being held. It could be down the street, or it could be in another realm I didn’t understand. From my obsession with paranormal romance novels, I knew that time moved differently on other planes of existence. One time when Alex and I were watching football—a sport I loathe because it takes forever for anything to happen and the clock is stopped fifty percent of the time—I’d joked that a minute in football is like a minute in faery. Alex had answered immediately, saying football minutes weren’t nearly that long. I’d stared at him, wondering if he was kidding, or if there really were other things out there besides the Amaranthine and Daevos—like the fae. If so, I had some fictional boyfriends who were definitely soul mate material.
Vicki pulled me out of my thoughts when she hugged me. “I’m so happy you’re here!”
“Have you seen the backyard yet?” Hutch asked, taking a sip of his energy drink. I wondered what it was spiked with.
I shook my head. “I haven’t been here long. I got a drink and came downstairs.”
Hutch cocked his head to the side in a come-with-me gesture. Vicki giggled as he took her hand. “It’s soooo cool!” she said.
We went back up the stairs, over the kid ready to puke, and around the couple still kissing who had managed to get a belt undone and a sweater half off. At this rate, they’d be dehydrated before they were free of any clothes.
We pushed through the crowd until we made it to the back door where we stepped onto a deck, and into a glittering winter wonderland. The snow on the ground, stacked at least four feet high everywhere else in town, had been melted down to create a backyard completely covered in glassy ice.
In one area, a slide had been made over the fence connecting the front yard and the back. I watched as someone clearly drunk, or off their meds, took a running leap and body surfed down the giant ice chute. It looked like the yard had been sprayed repeatedly with water and frozen. The effect was dazzling and a bit scary, too. Other than the deck we were standing on, there wasn’t a spot in the backyard you could walk on without the threat of possible broken bones. I was wearing heels—not ideal for traction.
People were scattered around, drinking, laughing and having a great time. I started to scan the area, looking for anyone I recognized. Hutch waved at some people across the yard. One was a girl wearing a huge, puffy, dark blue North Face coat, skinny jeans, lace up black boots with square silver buckles, and a black wool hat over her long, straight hair. She was sitting on a fold-out camping chair. Behind her, two guys leaned against a snow covered wood privacy fence on the south side of the yard. Both were in jeans and ski jackets, one red and black, the other yellow and black.
Vicki saw them too. She smiled and waved. The girl gave the slightest tilt of her head, which Vicki took as an invitation. The night air was biting against my skin, a stark contrast to the warm house we’d walked out of. If we were going to stay out here much longer, I needed my coat, but before I could excuse myself, Vicki was pulling me toward the group. Hutch glanced at me. “Those are the friends I was telling you about. The ones hosting the party.”
We skated across the icy yard, which had to be an insurance hazard, and skidded to a stop catching ourselves on the fence. “Hey, guys!” Vicki said.
Red ski jacket looked at us both like he’d been slightly entertained. Yellow ski jacket eyed me with a bit of surprise; I wasn’t sure why.
“Glad you could come,” red ski jacket said, addressing all three of us.
“Thanks for inviting us!” Vicki said, clearly thrilled to be part of the party. She was the type of person who spent more time with her books than friends, so I knew a social event like this was exciting for her. She was trying hard to make a good impression.
Vicki made introductions. “Everyone, this is Evie. Evie, this is Robert,” she said, gesturing to the guy in the yellow ski jacket. He had wide shoulders and a military haircut that highlighted his strong jaw. His physical presence would have been harsh if not for the warm smile that curved his lips as he nodded hello. Next, she drew my attention to red ski jacket. I hadn’t talked to him before, but I recognized him from my English class. “This is Brian.” He had a deep brown tan, and long, wavy blonde hair that made him look like he’d stepped straight off a California beach. “And this is Hannah.” She gestured to the willowy girl with waist-length, stick-straight brown hair and an angular face that would have been intimidating if not for her big brown doe-eyes.
“Hey,” I said, my eyes hitting each of them in greeting. “It’s nice to meet you.”
&nbs
p; “You too,” Robert said. “I saw you a few weeks ago in the College Center.”
That wasn’t a surprise. If I’m on campus, I’m either in class, the library, or the College Center. “I’m there a lot.” I took a sip of my lemonade. “How do you guys know each other?”
Hutch glanced at everyone before turning back to me. “We’re all in the same math class.”
“So are you all freshmen?”
Robert answered, “Yeah.”
“How do you like Western State?” I asked.
“It’s nice,” Brian said. “Smaller than a lot of colleges, but it’s a good school.”
Huh. It didn’t seem like Western State had been his first choice. I wondered what was? I shivered in the cold as they all discussed various colleges they’d applied to. Everyone except Hannah. She seemed reticent to talk.
Robert turned his attention to me. “So, are you here alone, or are your friends going to show up to yell at you again?”
Oh. He’d seen me in the College Center that day. Actually, it was a pretty good question. Jasmine wouldn’t, but if I didn’t make it home before Alex and Emil, I was certain they’d both be here and Alex would combust. I went with a non-committal answer. “You never know, but they aren’t here yet.”
Robert inclined his head. “Good,” he said, his tone slightly darker. His lips twisted into a strange smile. He let it linger just long enough for me to notice before saying, “You probably need a break. Constant drama isn’t good for anyone.”
If he only knew. My whole life was constant drama. I decided to change the subject. “The backyard full of ice is cool. Where did you get the idea?” It reminded me a little of the ice castles Emil had taken me to on our date.
No one said anything for several seconds while the three of them exchanged glances like they were trying to decide how to answer. The silence was a little awkward so I interjected, “If it’s a broken pipe, your landlord should really do something about that.”
I was going for funny. Hutch and Vicki laughed, Hannah, Brian, and Robert didn’t.
Robert gave a humorless smile instead. “No. It was a bit of an experiment. It worked out well, though.”
I nodded, waiting for him to go on, but he didn’t. He didn’t seem inclined to say more on the subject.
I shivered again from the cold. Even though my sweater was long-sleeved, the material was thin and the neckline low-cut. It was perfect for being inside a crowded room during a winter party, but the outfit wasn’t great for outdoor mountain wear. I could feel the goosebumps popping up over my arms and chest. I turned to Vicki. “I’m pretty cold. I’m going to get my coat.”
Hannah pushed up out of her chair. “I’ll come with you.”
I stared, nodding in surprise. Hannah hadn’t said a word the entire time. I wasn’t sure why she wanted to come inside with me. Maybe she was chilly too and wanted a break from her ice skating rink. I hoped Vicki would come; she wasn’t wearing a coat either. But she was nicely tucked under Hutch’s arm. I knew he was probably keeping her warm, and if not, being that close to him was making her forget about how cold she was.
It was at that moment I realized how jaded I’d become since learning about the Amaranthine and Daevos. Because instead of looking at two people my same age giddy in love, I looked at them like they were young and didn’t know any better. They didn’t know about soul mates or true love. Or the war being waged between two celestial forces so they could have the chance to find their perfect match. And they certainly didn’t have the problem of trying to pick between two people they loved and had centuries of history with that they couldn’t remember. Sometimes I felt eighty instead of eighteen.
“Are you coming?” Hannah asked.
I turned to her, shaken from my thoughts. “Yeah.”
Despite boots with at least a four-inch heel, Hannah didn’t have nearly the problems walking on the ice that I did. I wasn’t sure how long their backyard had looked like the arctic, but clearly it was enough time for Hannah to get some practice hours in. The rest of us were teetering and sliding like toddlers. This is the reason I don’t ski. I have no desire to go hurtling down a mountain in freezing cold weather at a hundred miles an hour only to end my life with my face implanted in a tree. I refuse to end up as a Darwin Award.
Once inside the house, Hannah veered off to the kitchen. She’d obviously come in for a drink instead of to keep me company. That was fine. I didn’t think we had a lot of interests in common, so coming up with conversation wouldn’t have been easy.
I pushed through the crowds again until I got to the bedroom—the one place in the house not occupied by anyone else. I started sifting through the coats on the bed trying to find mine in the rainbow of wool, cotton, and polyester. I pushed some hair out of my eyes while I moved the coats from the big communal pile on the bed, to my smaller pile on a chair in the room. It was like trying to find a puzzle piece. I felt like I’d been looking for ten minutes. Good grief. Next time I’d bring a hanger. I practically jumped for joy when I found my black wool trench coat with black buttons down both sides and a black belt. I picked it up, about to slip it on again.
“You’re not going to need that.”
I turned in the direction of the noise. It was Hannah. I hadn’t recognized her voice because, like I said, she wasn’t the most talkative. I stared at her, not knowing how to respond. I’d told her I was coming in to get my coat, but maybe she hadn’t heard me outside. “My sweater wasn’t warm enough so I came in for my coat.”
She moved toward me slowly, like a predator, her eyes holding mine. “I know, but you’re not going back outside.”
A horrible feeling settled in my stomach. The cookie and lemonade I’d had earlier were starting to stage a revolt. Paranoia or not, I’d rather pay attention to the unease I was feeling than trust everything would be fine and have it end badly. My self-defense training kicked in. I started looking for the best spot in the room to fight, and anything I might be able to fight with. Hannah noticed. “You won’t be able to fight your way out of this, either. You’re outnumbered.”
“There’s only one of you.”
A sly smile curved her lips. I heard the hinge of a door squeak behind me, and watched as Robert and Brian stepped into the room. The door had been hidden by the crusades on the wall.
“How are you enjoying the party so far, Evie?” Brian asked.
I took a minute to assess them all. I had the distinct feeling this party was an ambush, and Hutch had been used as a pawn to get me here. I started to fish my keys out of my pocket. “It was fun, but I actually need to get going.”
“Why?” Robert asked. “Is someone waiting for you?”
“Yes,” I said, not lying. If Alex and Emil came home and I wasn’t there, they’d come looking for me.
“If it’s Alex and Emil you’re worried about, don’t be. They won’t mind if you stay with us for a while, plus, from what we’ve heard, they’re quite busy with their meeting.”
I inhaled a quick breath and caught myself, trying not to betray my shock. How did they know about Alex and Emil, or the meeting? Were they Amaranthine or Daevos? I remembered Caleb saying there were unhappy Amaranthine members. People who had betrayed the Amaranthine. Could Alex be working with one of them and not even know it? “How do you know Alex and Emil?” I asked conversationally, trying not to give anything away.
Robert tilted his head, regarding me in a condescending manner. “How do you think we know them?”
“I assume you met them at school.”
Brian laughed. “We’ve known them much longer than that.”
“Actually,” Robert said, “we’ve known Emil. Alex hasn’t been around much. Too busy taking care of you. It’s too bad the Amaranthine can’t agree about how to handle the missing Trackers. They’re so concerned over fractures within their own Society, they’re not paying attention to other things going on. Right now, Daevos members can basically do whatever we want.”
Great. Another Daevo
s Clan. Just what I needed. I’d stopped worrying about other Daevos members as threats because the Tracker and shadow situations seemed like bigger issues. That’s the problem with focus. If you pay too much attention to one thing, you tend to miss others of equal or measurably more importance.
At this point, they knew who I was. I knew who they were. There was no point in going through the deny-it song and dance. “Why are you here?” I asked.
Robert placed his finger over his mouth for a second. “That’s an interesting question. One we couldn’t figure out at first, either. We were drawn to Gunnison. When we saw Emil, then recognized Alex, we put two-and-two together and figured out you were the Tracker they were protecting. We decided to stay in the area, watch you, and try to figure out why we’d felt the need to come here.”
They were “drawn” to Gunnison? What the—? Were other Daevos members and supernatural things being drawn to Gunnison too? And if so, why? I wondered if that was part of the reasons for the influx of shadows. But that couldn’t be, because according to Alex, shadows were being seen all over the world. It felt like there was some sort of paranormal migration to the Gunnison mountains happening. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but it couldn’t be good. “What do you want?” I asked.
“We’ve heard things about you. Things you can do.”
I started to purse my lips, but realized what I was doing and stopped. It wasn’t smart to let my thoughts play out through my body language. But inside, I was cursing. A lot. This was bad. Really, really bad. I knew it was only a matter of time until rumors about me and my powers started to spread. I had just hoped it wouldn’t happen so soon. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Brian gave me a not-nice smile. “Oh, I think you do.”
“And we have some tricks of our own,” Robert said. “We’ve been experimenting.”
He’d said that earlier about the ice in the backyard. It dawned on me that they might have done that with their own powers. “What do you mean?”
“You know,” Robert said. “Testing our limits. The Daevos have power too. With Trackers, we can amplify it.”
Eternal Echoes, Emblem of Eternity Trilogy Book 2 Page 16