by Amber Garza
I nod.
“Don’t make us remind you again.” Killian grins wickedly. The moonlight slices across his face reminding me of when I was a kid and I used to hold the flashlight under my chin in an attempt to look scary.
When they leave, I get in my truck. As I slide into the vinyl seat, my whole body shakes all over. The last thing I want is to be cut out of this plan. I want to prove myself to Saraf. It’s my ticket out of this godforsaken town. Away from Dad and the shop and all of the crap I have to put up with. And I’m certainly not going to screw things up for a girl that keeps lying to me.
I grunt in frustration when I think of our conversation in the closet earlier. Does Delaney think I’m an idiot? Did she really expect me to buy that crap about an appointment she was missing? I mean, I saw her face and it reminded me of the time when we were kids, right before she saved her friend. I saw the blank expression like she had left her body and traveled somewhere else, and I saw the look of panic when she came out of whatever trance she was in. Clearly something happened and it had nothing to do with some obligation she forgot.
Then at the lake when I thought I was finally getting somewhere with her, she clearly evaded my question. She’s never going to trust me enough to spill her secrets. I smack my hand against the steering wheel. I can’t believe I was actually starting to fall for her act. There were moments at the club and the lake where I felt myself being drawn to her. It must just be an effect of her magic. Yes, that has to be it. I just need to be more on guard around her.
From now on, I won’t let her bewitch me. I will stay strong and remember my mission. As I drive toward my house I formulate a plan. Forget talking to Delaney. She isn’t going to tell me anything willingly. No, there are other ways of getting the information I need, and I won’t stop until I have it.
I skip school and drive to Delaney’s house first thing in the morning. I know her dad will be at work and she’ll be at school. I’m just not certain if her mom will be home or not. If she is, I’ll just stake out the place until she leaves.
When I turn down her street, my palms clam up as my adrenaline kicks in. I’m sure the answer is in her house somewhere. If I can find it, this whole charade will be over. Then I won’t have to keep dating Delaney and I can just move on. Surprisingly, I feel a twinge of disappointment. It’s true that I have had fun with Delaney, but there’s no future for the two of us. That I know for sure. Besides that, she’s not honest with me. Really, I have no choice. I’m not dumb enough to fall for her.
My stomach drops when I get to her house. Why is there a man sitting on her front porch? He is trying to act casual as he sits back and stares out at the street through his dark sunglasses, but I can tell he’s one of Zerach’s men. I’ve seen them before.
Interesting. Without slowing down, I drive past the house. Delaney’s driveway is empty, so I assume her mom isn’t home. But now I have a bigger issue. How will I make it past the guard? I drive around the corner, and once I’m out of sight I pull over to the curb. Glancing over at the house, I try to formulate a plan. The way the street curves and the houses sit together, I can probably sneak in through the back. The guard didn’t seem like he was going to move anytime soon. Hopefully there is just the one guard out front. Worst case, if he catches me I’ll say I’m Delaney’s boyfriend and I’m dropping off a note. I pull out a slip of paper and scribble down a few sentences. After tucking it into my pocket, I get out of the truck.
I look both ways to make sure no one can see me. The street is deadly quiet. I’m grateful that most people in this town are hard workers. It’s an obligation people in Edenly take very seriously. I slip behind the houses and crouch down as I move stealthily through the weeds that grow between the fences. By the time I reach Delaney’s house, my heart is beating so fast my chest burns. I really don’t want to get caught by Zerach’s guard. I’m not that confident in my “note plan.” Pressing my body to the side of the house, I slide over to a window and peek in. It appears to be her parent’s room since there’s a queen sized bed and two dressers. I try the window, but it’s locked. With the guard out front there’s no way I’m breaking a window.
Defeated, I move to the next window. My heart leaps when I glance inside. This has to be Delaney’s room. The bed is unkempt, there are a few pairs of shoes on the ground, and pictures are tacked to the mirror above her dresser. The only odd thing is the air mattress on the ground. I reach out and try the window and am stoked to find that not only is it unlocked, but it’s slightly open. I push it the rest of the way and climb inside. Once my feet hit the carpet, I let out the breath I’d been holding.
The smell of apples lingers in the air and it clings to me. A nightgown is bundled on the floor next to a pair of slippers. She’s not as neat as I assumed.
On top of her nightstand is a tattered paperback — some novel about vampires. I open the top drawer and rifle through it. There’s nothing very interesting inside, just a brush, some lotion and chapstick. Next, I open the larger drawer underneath. In it I find a couple of photo albums and a scrapbook. Now we’re getting somewhere. I sit on the edge of the bed and peel back the first page. There are pictures of Delaney as a little girl with the same long red hair, same green eyes and freckles across her face. Most of the pictures feature Micah in them, causing my insides to churn. Even though I hate to admit it, jealousy surfaces at seeing all the pictures of them together. After thumbing through a few more pages, I put down the album. This is getting me nowhere. Maybe the scrapbook will be more helpful.
I gently pry it open. It takes a moment because the pages are stuck together. I’m careful, not wanting to rip anything. It’s filled with school papers and report cards. That doesn’t help me at all.
Frustrated, I shove it all back in the drawer and stand up. Footsteps sound in the hallway. I freeze. Is someone home? I stand still, without moving or breathing. The footsteps stop right outside the closed door to Delaney’s room. I’m about ready to throw myself in the closet when a person’s voice rings out from further back in the house. I can’t hear what they say, but the footsteps retreat, following the voice.
I need to think fast. Where would a girl keep her personal things? My gaze lands on her dresser. On top are several framed pictures of Delaney and Superman, which furthers my irritation. For a girl who says there’s nothing going on between them, she sure has a lot of pictures of the guy. I fling open the dresser drawers and rummage through them. All they contain is clothes.
Next, I move to her vanity. I find several brushes covered in strands of red hair, a bottle of hair spray, two curling irons, and several large bins of hair ties, headbands and clips. I suppose it’s only natural that a girl with so much hair would have a lot of hair products.
Agitated, I turn around. I can still hear voices toward the back of the house. I keep my ears perked as I keep searching. There has to be something. Surely she has a journal or diary. Doesn’t every girl? I scour her bookshelves. Nothing.
That’s when I notice her computer. Yes, this has to be it. She has to have something incriminating on it. I log on, inwardly laughing at her predictability. Her password is her last name. Any idiot can figure that out. I check her emails since they are open on her desktop. Nothing earth shattering there. She mostly gets spam. I look at her history and favorites. They’re all research sites, obviously used for her homework. The footsteps return, getting louder now. I hurriedly log off the computer just as the footsteps stop in front of the door again. This time I don’t waste any time. I open her closet door and jump inside. The door to Delaney’s room opens before I can close the closet door all the way. Luckily, it’s only open a crack and I’m safely hidden behind a long black dress. I hold still and try to breathe as quietly as possible. A girl with short blonde hair enters the room, a little boy with long brown hair following at her heels.
The girl’s head is down like she’s looking for something. Who are these people?
When the girl sits on the edge of the air mattress, I su
rmise that she must be staying here. Maybe she’s a cousin or something. I wonder why Delaney never mentioned that they had house guests. It’s just another thing that Delaney has kept from me.
“Ah, here it is.” The girl plucks a toy car off the ground. “I told you it was in here, Asa.”
The little boy’s face lights up and he reaches for it. After grabbing it in his fist, his gaze sweeps the room. With his index finger, he points near the closet. “Oh, and there’s the other one!”
Panic grips me. The other car is right in front of me. If he comes over here he might see me. Sweat breaks out on my forehead, slides down my shoulder blades. My skin prickles. Before I can even process what’s happening the car shoots up off the carpet and flies across the room. The little boy catches it and squeals with delight. My eyes widen and I feel like they are going to bug out of my face. I stifle back a gasp.
The girl looks just as surprised as me. Her eyebrows shoot clear up to her hair. “Asa? How did you do that?”
Asa laughs and shrugs. “I don’t know. I just wanted the car, and it came to me.”
The girl’s mouth gapes open. “We just found out what your gift is. We need to tell mom right away. C’mon.” She yanks him up and they leave the room. In their haste, they leave the door open so I know I have to get out of here fast.
Listening to their voices in the other room, I climb back out the window, careful to watch out for the guard. As I race back to the truck, my mind tries to make sense of what I saw. I may not have found out what Delaney’s secret is, but I did find out she has a little boy with special powers living in her house. This is huge.
It makes me wonder just how many other things she is hiding from me.
Chapter 18
Micah
AUNT TABITHA IS a force to be reckoned with. She’s my mom’s older sister, but they are polar opposites. Like for instance, Aunt Tabby (which is what I’ve called her since I was a toddler) isn’t married. Not only that, but it’s completely by choice. Plenty of men have been interested but she has no desire to ever be married. She prefers to be alone. According to my aunt, she is already married to her work and her patients, and therefore she doesn’t have the time and energy to give to any man. Another difference is their style. Aunt Tabitha always has her hair in long braids with beads at the bottom and she wears bright print dresses, giant dangly earrings, bracelets up her arms and jeweled rings on every finger. My mom, on the other hand, is a total minimalist. The only jewelry she wears is her wedding ring, her clothes are usually dull colors like white and beige, and her hair has been cut in the same short bob since I was born.
However, the one thing they have in common is that they are both strong women and they both care a lot about me. The minute Aunt Tabby sweeps into my house, smelling of Patchouli oil, she lets out a gasp.
“My, my child, what have you gone and done to yourself?” She asks while taking in the scratches that line my chest, back and arms. Even though they are all closed up, thanks to Ariel’s healing power, the lines are still visible.
After appraising me, she glances over at Ariel as if she’s noticed her for the first time. “Well, aren’t you a pretty little thing?”
Ariel blushes. “I’m Ariel.”
Aunt Tabby smiles. “And what’s your story, Ariel? Are you a friend of my nephew’s?”
Biting her lip, she nods. “Yeah, but I’m also the reason he got attacked.”
“Oh, I see.” Aunt Tabby raises her eyebrows at me in a knowing glance. “So, Micah, that’s what you were doing when you got attacked? Trying to impress a girl.”
I laugh, feeling the heat creeping up into my face. Even though I am sixteen, my aunt still has the ability to embarrass me. “No. I was just helping her out.”
“Uh-huh. I’ve been around a lot longer than you have. I know puppy love when I see it.” She sits down on the couch by my legs and looks between Ariel and me. “And right now I’m seeing it. Yes siree.”
Ariel’s face has gone red as a tomato. In this moment I’m glad my skin is so dark that she can’t see me blushing. When Ariel turns her face away, my aunt’s gaze lingers on the bottom of the tattoo on her neck. Her hair is covering some of it, but the lower half is still visible.
“You’re one of the Ekloge Warriors too, huh?”
“Yes.” Ariel’s voice is barely above a whisper.
“It’s fine,” I reassure her. “Aunt Tabby knows all about us.”
Aunt Tabby leans over me, staring at my wounds. “Are you the one who healed him?” she asks Ariel.
“Yeah. Usually my powers are more effective, but right now I’m only able to use them partially.”
“I see that.” My aunt raises her brows. “Which means that if the creature that attacked you was poisonous then her powers would have been no match for it.” She stands up abruptly. “But don’t worry. I have an elixir you can drink that will rid your body of any unwanted toxins.”
“They give that out at the hospital, huh? An elixir to get rid of poison from a Sarafite creature?”
Aunt Tabby turns a dark eye on me. “No, they don’t. This is something you can only get from me.” She reaches inside the bag she brought and pulls out a glass bottle. The liquid inside is a deep blue, like the color of the ocean. Only when I take a drink it tastes like strong medicine and makes my mouth feel like it’s on fire. It takes all my willpower to not spit it back up. While I swallow, I fight against the cough that wants to spring from my throat. Finally I get it all down and I heave a sigh of relief. Aunt Tabby hands me a cup of water to wash it down.
Then she turns to Ariel. “Keep an eye on him until Felicia gets home. She told me that her nursing shift doesn’t end until around four today, and he shouldn’t be by himself while the elixir is doing its work.”
An hour later I’m hovered over the toilet, retching. Sweat covers my entire body, and I think I just emptied my stomach out of everything I’ve eaten in the past week. I’m mortified that Ariel probably heard me moaning in here. She offered to help, but I made her go away and locked myself securely in the bathroom.
“Are you okay?” she asks through the door.
“I’m fine. Be out in a minute,” I reply.
Once I’m sure that the puking is over, I hoist myself up to a standing position and flush. Unsightly chunks of food swirl down the drain. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and then turn on the shower. After stripping off my throw-up stained clothes, I discard them onto the bathroom floor. When I step into the steam-filled shower, the hot water feels amazing. I scrub my body with soap, grateful for the strong, clean scent.
By the time I get out, I am feeling much better. After drying off, I wrap a towel around my waist and brush my teeth. When I open the door, Ariel is standing in the middle of the hallway.
Her gaze travels down to my towel and a blush spills across her cheeks. She quickly turns away. “Oh-I-I’m sorry. I was just coming to check on you.”
I almost laugh at how uncomfortable she is. But the truth is that I’m pretty embarrassed myself. While she scurries back to the family room, I go to my room to change. After pulling on a pair of shorts and a shirt, I head back out.
Ariel is seated on the couch, picking at her nails. Her head snaps up when I enter the room. “I’m really sorry about that.”
I wave away her words. “It’s fine.”
“So, are you feeling any better?” She wrinkles her nose. “It sounded pretty brutal in there.”
Lowering myself, I sit down on the couch and stretch my legs. “Yeah, it was no picnic that’s for sure. Aunt Tabby’s concoction was pretty strong.”
“At least you don’t have to worry about poison anymore. From the sound of things, I doubt there’s anything left in your system.” Ariel grimaces.
“I think that’s a pretty safe bet.” I chuckle.
She looks away and stares out the window. She’s probably tired of playing nurse.
“Hey, you’ve been here all day. If you want to take off I understand
. My mom will be home soon, and I’m feeling a lot better now.”
Ariel shakes her head. “No way. I told your mom that I would stay here until either she comes home or Delaney comes over, and I definitely don’t want to get on her bad side.”
“I don’t blame you.” I grin even though her words unsettle me. Not the part about my mom. I know she can be scary. No, I’m bothered by what she said about Delaney. It would seem that with me being sick, my best friend would hardly leave my side. In the past I couldn’t tear Delaney away from me after an attack. In fact, a couple of years ago I was injured in a rescue and Delaney refused to go to school for an entire week. She held vigil by my bedside the whole time. However, the past couple of days she’s hardly spent more than a few minutes here. She checks on me and then takes off. I have a funny feeling that she’s hiding something from me, and I don’t think it’s something good.
“Is there anything I can get you?” Ariel asks.
I shake my head. “No, I’m alright.”
“Okay. Well, I’m gonna grab some water.” She stands. “Are you sure you don’t want some?”
I know she is doing this for my benefit, and it makes me smile. “Sure. Although I wish we had some Sprite or something. That would feel better in my stomach.”
Her eyes light up. “I could go to the store and get you some.”
“How would you get there? Walk?” I almost laugh at the prospect. The nearest store is several miles.
“I could take your car.”
I shake my head. “Nah. I don’t want to incur your mother’s wrath.”
“C’mon, please, please, please.” Her eyes are pleading and her hands are clasped together like she’s praying. It reminds me of the day she begged me to go to her house with her. She seems just as desperate right now, which gives me pause. Why is she so determined to go somewhere? It can’t be just about picking up some Sprite for me.