“I think it’s in here.” In the shadows she pointed out an engraved plaque etched with the words, Stanton Observatory, established 1847.
“Figures.” Mom’s voice danced in my head, cheering me on. Now I knew why she wanted me to “look up that nice Stanton boy.” For once I actually listened, though not on purpose.
Something sank in the pit of my stomach and shot down to my knees. I wanted to run back into the moonlight, but I followed Shanda into a wood-paneled foyer. A familiar damp smell clawed my nose.
“Welcome, ladies.” A brassy blonde ushered us toward a spiral staircase that snaked up the tower. She swept her hand over a tag on her shirt, Colleen. “I’ll get you all set up.”
She handed me a nametag and I plastered it below the sequins of my black t-shirt. Wouldn’t want to trash Mom’s expensive back-to-school gift.
“This better be good.” I whispered to Shanda.
“You’re telling me.” Her stilettos clicked against the metal treads as she spiraled up the tower at a steady pace, like it didn’t faze her one bit.
I gripped the sleek wrought-iron railing until my knuckles went white. Under my feet, the steps groaned and squeaked like an out-of-control carnival ride. Butterflies on caffeine flocked to my stomach. So I focused on Shanda’s concert t-shirt. Phoenix, Denver, Shreveport. The name of each city numbed my swirling brain all the way up. At the top my feet found the hardwood floor and practically squealed their thanks.
Somehow the white-domed room felt airy and dark all at the same time. Moonlight slanted in from a giant panel propped open for the telescope. “What kind of club meets in an observatory?”
“The really cool kind, obviously.” She pulled me over to a cluster of folding chairs.
“Obviously.” My knees wobbled as I plunked down in the metal chair.
He stood at the center of the room. That so-messy-it’s-cool sandy hair and those gunmetal grays flashing at me like they did this afternoon. “Welcome to the Nexis induction meeting. I’m Will Stanton, club president.”
No, that couldn’t be him. The whole room faded into darkness, refocusing around him. I curled my fingers under the cool metal seat until the world stilled back to normal. Mom’s choice might be a tough one to turn down. Warning sirens blared in my head. It’s too soon. Remember what happened last time? But Will’s velvety voice lulled them into silence.
“We’re an elite social club of gifted students. All of our graduating members have been able to attend the Ivy League college of their choice.” The cleft in his chin waved at me as he looked around the room. “That’s because we only recruit the best of the best. Each of you has been invited because of your academic or family status. If you decide to join, you’ll meet the rest of the members during initiations.”
He continued with his spiel, but I lost myself in those eyes. They sparked silver, right in my direction. Like he’d actually pick me over the Barbie dolls in the crowd. How could a girl concentrate on anything else? The patter of clapping jolted me back to reality.
How had I missed the whole speech? Wow, I must be losing it.
“You got it bad.” A trademark cackle escaped Shanda’s throat as the applause died down.
“Do not.” But I couldn’t help stalking him with my eyes across the room as the Barbies circled. Then I caught Shanda’s expression, like she could probably read my mind. “Why, is it obvious?”
She snorted, yet somehow glided like a swan to the enormous telescope. I followed close on her heels. Anything to escape the strange feelings flocking around some guy I didn’t even know.
Her fingers slid down the white cylinder, caressing the eye piece. She gazed up at the night sky, then moved the scope with a swift flick of her wrist. “Take a look at this.”
I pressed the viewfinder against my eye socket. Three bright dots formed a glowing triangle. “Pretty. What stars are they?”
“One star, two planets.” She counted it out on three fingers. “Saturn and Mars with a star called Spica. I’m calling this formation the August trifecta. They’ll be in different orbits by next week when September comes. Enjoy it while you can.”
“We aren’t talking about stars here, are we?”
Her back arched over the telescope. “Don’t get your hopes up about these guys. You’ve got to be loaded or a genius to get accepted with this crowd.” She lowered her voice a notch. “And I don’t think they’re just trying to get into Ivy League schools.”
“Don’t tell Mom and Dad that.” I shuffled toward the open slat in the dome to check out the night. So many stars dimpled the sky. They always made me feel small, but also kind of important. Like I might actually be on this planet to do something really cool. “My parents insist we have some inside family connection. If I joined Nexis they’d do a backflip. You have nothing to worry about. Your dad’s loaded, right?”
“Yeah, but we’re new money kind of people.” She fiddled with the silver knobs on the side. “Sure, Dad wants me to be an Ivy Leaguer like your parents. It’s the uppercrust breed of people that go there, that revolve around clubs like this. They’re pretentious, not anything I want to be a part of.”
Someone knew what they were doing when they paired us as roommates. I nudged my shoulder into hers. “Maybe that’s why Nexis needs people like you. To burst their bubble.”
“Good one.” Her lips curved into the tiniest smile. It faded fast. “I still don’t know.”
“Honestly, this isn’t really me, either. Just following in my family’s footsteps.” I chewed on my bottom lip. Could a posh prep school group be my only ticket to happiness? Probably not, but my parents would disagree. So let them. “I want to make my own mark.”
Shanda’s face lit up in the moonlight. “Maybe we’re more alike than I thought.”
Will and a blond guy muscled a path toward us in the dwindling crowd. “Hey, Lucy.”
He said my name. The room wobbled like the rickety staircase all over again.
“How’d you know my name?” My voice came out froggy. How embarrassing.
“James was my mentor freshman year. You look a little like him, only much cuter.” His white teeth were bright against the shadows.
Petals of heat crept of my neck, my cheeks. The darkness became my new best friend.
“You got a second? There’s something I want to show you.” His shining eyes made me wonder if I could ever be ready for what he had to offer. “Wait here. Kevin will entertain you.” With that odd command he disappeared back into the shadows.
Kevin offered his hand to Shanda. “Where are you from?”
She shook his hand and angled toward him. “I’m from the city.”
He crossed his biceps over his chest. “How cool. I’m from L.A.”
She bobbed her head and moved to the scope. “Let’s test the range on this baby. Wanna see Saturn’s rings?”
“Sweet.” He spiked up his hair and bent over the eyepiece.
I inched as close to the open slat as I dared and sat down, dangling my feet over the side. The moon bathed me in her silvery light. As the glow washed over me, the sky looked surprisingly normal. Almost like it did back home. What would my family be doing this Saturday night? Paige was probably out with her friends, Mom and Dad at some generic charity function.
A bulky form plopped down right next to me, legs dangling dangerously close.
“Check this out.” Will’s deep voice sent a shiver down my neck.
I jerked back. With strong hands he steadied my shoulders.
“Careful now.” He crossed his legs over the edge. Between us he opened a leather book with a symbol on it, an embossed circle of raised lines, like flames around a cross. “This is the history of our group. Since the beginning of Nexis, anyway.”
I watched him turn the thin parchment pages, filled with strange words. “Is that Latin?”
“Very good.” He flipped the pages, quicker and quicker each time, finally pausing on a picture of a woman with a halo around her face. Her eyes were da
rk and shadowed. The whole time he stared at me. “It’s the founding tenets of our group.”
I kicked the side of the tower. “She’s a saint, right? Is she the founder of Nexis?”
He narrowed his eyes like I was under a magnifying glass. “Only members are supposed to see this book. Since you’re practically one already, I’ll give you an overview.”
He would break the rules for me? I lifted my gaze from the ancient book and found him watching me again—his lips curled into a crescent, a slight dimple in his tan cheek.
I could stare at this guy all day, especially with the way he studied me like he was actually interested.
He angled closer, his voice low. “We have certain beliefs about the way things should be. There’s so much potential out there for us, just waiting to tap into it.”
Not another lecture on potential. “We’re high schoolers, all we have is potential.” I straightened my torso, putting some much-needed distance between us.
“If you join us, then we can help you realize your potential.” He dug his fingers into his short scruff of golden-brown hair. “Believe me, it’s more than you think. You interested?”
I let my eyes wander from his face back to the book. The saint’s picture seared into my brain, as if I’d seen it before.
I tore my gaze from her hollow eyes to stare up at the moon, inhaling a much-needed breath. Everyone called it the man in the moon, but the face I saw in the sky was too pretty to be a man. So, I always called her the woman in the moon. She smiled down at me, like she wanted me to give this guy a chance.
“With so little to go on? Doubtful.”
“Here’s something you probably didn’t know.” He flipped to a black and white photo taped onto a back page. “As president, your brother oversaw my initiation. He made all the guys in our group drink a gallon of milk. The girls had to drink a half gallon.” Sure enough, five guys and five girls were lined up, chugging on milk bottles, white liquid spilled over their clothes.
“Gross, bro,” I said to the picture. James stood behind the group, hands in the air. That familiar grin across his face.
Will turned from the photo and looked at me. “No one could drink it all. He said that was the point. We all needed to learn to fail at something before we’d ever really be good at anything.”
“I miss him.” Mist clouded my eyes. James always had a way of goofing off, and then turning serious when he needed to. All with his life-affirming spin on things.
Will squeezed my shoulder. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought you’d want to know how your brother loved this group.”
“I do want to know.” Pressure bubbled behind my eyes. I scrunched up my nose to keep the sting of tears back. “What do you remember about him?”
He slammed the book closed, with a grin on his face. “No more free info until you join.”
“No fair. We’ll see about that.” I pushed myself up and reached for the book.
He stood just as quickly and hoisted it over his head. No way Dimples here was gonna keep me from my brother. I jumped for the book, my fingertips grazing the brass emblem.
Butterflies dive-bombed the pit of my stomach as the bottom dropped out.
In a split-second I was transported to a dark field.
Pillars of torchlight formed a semi-circle around James, his face contorted with fear. He reached for me. I stretched out my hand to him, but he faded away.
Then the ground buckled under my feet as stubby grass morphed into charcoal hardwood again.
The toe of my silver flat caught a nail in the floor. I lost my balance and teetered toward the edge of the platform.
Will’s strong arm encircled my waist, pulling me toward him. Away from the tower’s ledge.
Bang! The book thudded on the floor.
I flinched, and his other arm wrapped around my back.
“Are you okay?” His gray eyes sliced open the shadows.
The butterflies soared straight to my chest and clogged my lungs. I couldn’t nod my head, I couldn’t blink. Like a statue, the expression on my brother’s face stamped in my mind.
Will’s hand slid from my waist, the other still steadying my back. “You’re fine. I’ve got you.”
Each breath brought more oxygen, more clarity. “I’m so glad you caught me.”
“Me, too.” His eyes softened around the edges. “I kinda want to keep you around.”
I smoothed my hair down, my fingers bumping along the edge of my scar. It kicked off a drumbeat in my brain. Could I have some lingering head damage from the car accident six months ago? Or was I finally losing it?
“I better get going now.”
“You sure you’re okay?” His eyebrows scrunched up like an upside-down V as he helped me to the stairs. “I hope that didn’t scare you off.”
I shook my head. It made the pounding worse. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Good. You’ve got a real shot if you want to go for it.” His lips lifted into ghost of a smile. “We’re having an information session in the library next week if you’re interested.”
“Great,” I choked out, fleeing for the exit.
Will’s oh-so-charming expression didn’t scare away the fear rising in my throat. I descended the wobbly stairs into the darkness, my overworked heart thudding like crazy in my chest.
James’ scared expression, his hand outstretched, followed me into the depths. Did I just imagine the whole thing, because of this dark tower with its creepy haunted-house stairs? Or did something really happen to my brother because of this group?
“Wait.” Shanda’s voice rang out behind me. “I’ll walk back with you.”
She sped out the door and dragged me down the path, practically wrenching my arm out of its socket. She glanced around the empty quad—the strangest expression on her face. Bending down to tie her shoe, she motioned me to do the same. I crouched next to her.
She hissed in my ear, “This should do it. I didn’t want to tell you before, because they might’ve heard. They’re not using that telescope to watch the sky.”
The air stilled around us. “What do you mean? It wasn’t pointed down or anything, was it? Plus, you showed me the August trifecta.”
“Please,” her breath puffed in my face, “like they’d be so obvious as to point at what they’re actually looking at. But they didn’t bother to change the focus. They have it zoomed out too much. You can see the trifecta with the naked eye. Look.” She outlined the three stars with her fingertip.
I blinked and looked up at the black sky. She was right, I could see the three stars almost as vividly as I’d seen them in the telescope.
“Real astronomers would want to see Saturn’s rings, not stuff you can go outside and see for yourself.”
“So if they aren’t watching the sky, what are they watching?” I could almost feel eyes on me. Whose eyes I had no idea, surely not Will’s. Maybe he wasn’t so wonderful after all. “Figures.” I straightened my knees to get up.
Shanda grabbed a handful of sequins, holding me in place. “They’re watching something here on campus, or someone. It could be anything. But if I were a creepy stalker with a telescope, I’d watch everything. And everyone.”
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Chapter 1
Snowflakes splatted on the windshield as Old Faithful charged uphill through the slush. Despite the fits of sleet and snow that assaulted us on the three hour drive from New York to Pennsylvania, somehow my heart felt lighter with every mile put between me and Montrose Academy. My junior year had started with the hope of a fresh start, only to end with my crazy ex stal
king me a thousand miles to try to kidnap me. Not your average semester.
But then again, I found out I wasn’t your average girl. In just a few short months, I’d discovered I had the power to see the unseen world of angels and demons. Not exactly a gift I’d asked for, by the way. Nope. Apparently my family came from a long line of people with this “supernatural sight.” I just lucked out it was my turn to carry the mantel of the Seer. At least now I had and new boyfriend to help train me.
“Here we are, good old Harrisburg PA. At last.” Bryan squeezed my hand with his rough fingers, bringing me back to reality. We coasted into his hometown—more like a snow-encrusted Thomas Kinkade village.
His tin-can of a car shuddered to a stop at the red light.
“It’s beautiful all wrapped-up in snow.” I couldn’t help but smile at the welcome distraction.
Quaint little shops lined the streets with roofs capped in snow. White Christmas lights twinkled in the eaves, bright spots in the gathering dusk. Red bows adorned every street lamp, their scarlet ribbons dotted with white flakes.
“It’s the envy of all other towns.” Bryan’s blue eyes sparkled as the light turned green.
“It’s okay, you can admit it. You live in one of those towns. The kind with festivals to commemorate the first snow.”
I blinked at him, just staring at his profile. I still couldn’t believe this guy was my boyfriend. Earlier today he’d told me he loved me, and somehow convinced my dad to let me go to Pennsylvania to meet his family. What a guy, right?
His brow bunched up as he stared at the road. “Uh oh. I forgot about this crazy festival. Looks like we’ll have to go around.”
“What festival.” I turned to look out the windshield. A barricade I hadn’t noticed blocked the street in front of us, frosted enough to blend into the snowy backdrop. Bundled-up people lined the sidewalks, waiting around for something.
Those blue eyes snapped toward me, suddenly haunted. “Lucy, I’m sorry. I’m such an idiot.”
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