by Sela Croft
I was sure that Lana didn’t believe that I was fine, but the cafeteria wasn’t the place for a personal chat. If she was at the dorm later, maybe I’d have a chance to talk with her. I wanted to explain things better, not just tell her an alarming tale and leave it at that.
I got a reprieve when lunch was over, and I could escape. Lana and her friends headed for class. I wasn’t sure where I was headed. The day had turned chilly, and there were clouds overhead. They moved across the sky, casting shadows on the university buildings.
One of the massive structures drew my attention. Looking up, I saw the sharp spires darken as clouds passed over. The ornate façade under the gray sky had changed appearance and looked ominous. I stepped closer and ran my hand over the surface of the stone wall, so solid and enduring.
Then a shadow shifted, but it wasn’t from the clouds. I turned and saw a man as he vanished around the corner. He’d had dark, shaggy hair, and his cape flowed behind him. My heart leapt—Draven!
I’d recognized him, so sprinted to the end of the building. Only no one was there. Then I saw his boot as he turned the next corner. I followed with my heart pounding, praying that he’d be there. Yet when I turned to where he should be, there was only empty space.
Silently, I listened for footsteps. And I watched for motion. Then Draven was there. I caught a glimpse of his face, but the vision vanished in the next instant. I moved in that direction, unsure why he would bait me so. As before, when I got to the location, he was gone.
For hours afterward, I strolled without straying far, watching and waiting. But Draven did not reappear.
Until then, the dreams had been my solace. His appearance had been a gift and had allowed me to see him, to talk to him. Yet I couldn’t be content with fleeting dreams any longer. I wouldn’t be passive anymore. Draven had appeared; he existed.
Not only that, he’d shown himself in my world. A new strategy was called for. If I waited, the worst might happen; I might lose my love for good. I was inspired and vowed to act without reservation. Wherever Draven was, I needed to locate him—and soon.
Chapter 12 – Mirela
Draven had appeared to me, but something more had happened. The power that had brought him to me had fueled my own. While I’d followed the elusive image—and even for a while afterward—an acute awareness had emerged.
My natural intuition, a skill that I’d tapped into in life, had magnified. I’d had a feeling where Draven would be, where he’d turn, when he’d disappear. Only it was more than that.
A previously unknown sensitivity had overcome me. It was more than empathizing with Draven’s predicament, and much more than caring. I’d been so in tune with my environment that I’d identified with the ground underfoot, the sky overhead—even the stone of the building.
The spirit of Draven, the nature around me, and even stone seemed animated. My senses had sharpened to a degree that I hadn’t realized was possible. It was as some had recounted after taking perception-heightening drugs, of which I hadn’t imbibed. Only I was certain what I’d experienced was better, than any artificially heightened perceptions.
It had been a taste of the power that I’d strived to bring forth. There could be no disputing that I was able to see creatures of the other realm. That fact had been repeatedly proven to me. Yet my true abilities had remained submerged.
I hadn’t known what would bring my powers to the surface. The recent occurrence had given me a clue. When I’d been around such creatures, or involved with supernatural experiences, my abilities had become more evident. It had been like turning on a switch.
That was encouraging, because if I could do it once, then I could do it again. The issue was finding appropriate creatures—which I didn’t seem to be in control of. Or of experiencing the supernatural, which posed a similar problem.
It boosted my confidence to know that my abilities were latent, languishing just below the surface. Possibly, in a time of crisis I could bring them forth. So far, I hadn’t discovered the depth of my powers or their use. And nor did I know all the occasions when they’d become available to me.
Since there was no one to instruct me about the extent of my ability, or tutor me in its use, I was on my own. It shouldn’t be that hard to tap into my powers, since I was aware of their existence. Having unleashed the supernatural, I doubted the portal could be resealed.
I hoped that was the case, because I needed all the help that I could get.
As I walked, I pondered the situation and considered possibilities. When I looked up, I was facing Samuel Torres, my computer science professor. He was middle-aged, had short-cropped brown hair, and wore glasses. His demeanor in class had been relaxed, compared to others who taught. He’d even permitted the students to call him Sam.
I smiled and started to walk around him.
“Mirela…”
I turned, not liking the frown on Sam’s face.
“Where are you going?”
That was a fair question; only I had no idea. “I’m just…walking.”
“You’ve been missing class…repeatedly.” Sam looked at me intently. “Is there a problem that I should know about?”
There was a problem, but not one I was going to tell my instructor about. “Uh…not really.”
Sam didn’t make a move to go, making me unsure what to do next. “Come and see me when you have a chance. If you don’t make up the work, I’ll have to fail you in the class.” He furrowed his brow. “I’d hate to do that.”
“I wouldn’t like that either.” I didn’t continue walking until Sam turned and headed toward class. That had been close. It was lucky that he didn’t push it, as I had no credible story for him. And he wouldn’t want to know what I was really up to.
Having escaped a confrontation, I resumed my thoughts where I’d left off. The doorway to the supernatural couldn’t be closed. I decided that what protected it was that humans didn’t know it existed. Even if they’d heard of such phenomena, they didn’t believe it.
All I needed was better control over events, and more understanding of my role and ability. That shouldn’t be too difficult. Although so far it had proved elusive.
I continued walking through the quad, eying the trees suspiciously. They were the habitat of one unpredictable creature: the owl. In all the times I’d crossed through the area, I’d only seen the bird a couple of times.
The clouds that had appeared earlier had darkened. I looked up to see if it might rain. One thicker bank of clouds hovered in the distance, threatening. With a sigh, I wished for sunshine. The clouds parted then rays of bright sunlight beamed through.
I stared at the sky, uncertain of what had just happened. The clouds had moved, as if on command. They hadn’t drifted apart as a natural course. Could it be that I was able to control the weather?
I tried again but to no avail. Maybe it had been a fluke. Or my powers were dying out. It could be that I needed recharging, but there were no supernaturals handy.
Wind blew my hair, and I looked up to see the owl swooping toward me. His round eyes stared into mine as he swished overhead, then dipped a bit too close. It annoyed me that the bird was taunting me. He circled and traversed the quad again.
I watched, waiting to see what the owl would do. I rather hoped that he’d settle on a branch, so I could have a closer look. Instead, he flew high then dropped toward me at a rapid rate. He was heckling me. I raised a hand at him. “You won’t defeat me. I won’t allow it.”
Then I strode across the lawn with purpose. I’d been pushed and prodded and harassed quite enough. All that separated me from Draven was the border between my world and his. It wouldn’t do to become discouraged.
There must be a way to transcend the boundaries between the realms. All I had to do was find the border and figure out how to cross it. That was simple enough. The only wrench in the works was that I didn’t have any idea how to achieve that.
Later that day, Lana had texted about meeting for dinner. That was a grea
t idea, since I needed to talk with her. We met at a place off campus, with a variety of choices. The cook was good with burgers, salads, soups, and other items.
The café was crowded but we were seated right away. The establishment was large, with many wooden tables and chairs. The ambience was university casual. And the food was tasty; we’d been there before. I was hungry, since I hadn’t eaten much lately.
Lana was in jeans and a sweater. “I went with casual. No parties tonight.” She sat across from me. “I didn’t feel like dressing up.”
The thought hadn’t occurred to me. What I wore hadn’t been top of mind lately. And my wardrobe was limited. “What are you going to order?”
Lana scanned the menu. “My favorite here is the chicken salad, so I’ll go for that.”
The waitress came by and took our orders. I sipped water until the lemonade arrived. Lana had ordered a fancy cocktail, but I stuck with non-alcoholic fare. My life was wild enough; I had to keep my wits about me.
Lana chatted about Skye, recent parties, and who else in class was cute. It seemed that she wasn’t locked into a relationship yet. When her drink arrived, she swirled the plastic stirrer in it before taking a sip. “So…what’s happening with you?”
There was no way to be noncommittal, so I said, “A lot.”
“I think you need to bring me up to date.”
While sipping her drink, Lana was attentive. I launched into a description of recent events, starting with more insight into what had happened at the party. That was followed by my trip to the cliffs, and the subsequent Draven sighting.
“You should stay away from cliffs.”
I raised my hand. “That’s all you have to say? I just told you I’m being chased, haunted, and threatened…and you’re worried about cliffs?”
Lana huffed. “I have a point, you know. Draven didn’t fare well there, so why in the world would you go out to Deception Point?”
I took a gulp of lemonade. “I didn’t know his abductors would be there.”
“I’m concerned about you.”
“And you think I’m not concerned.” The server brought the meals, giving me a moment to think. I pointed my fork at Lana. “Do you have any help to offer?”
Lana took a moment to pour dressing over her salad and stir it around. “I might. One of my classes is world history.”
I munched on a French fry while waiting for enlightenment.
“Belief in the supernatural has existed throughout history.”
I spread mustard on my hamburger bun, hoping Lana had more for me.
“All I’m saying is, your experiences are within the bounds of credibility.”
I laughed. “I suppose that depends on whom you ask.”
Lana shrugged. “The thing is that your plan of attack has to be developed, based on the type of realm you’re dealing with and its inhabitants.”
“Any insight on that?”
Lana shook her head. I was no further ahead than I had been, except that Lana shared my quandary. At least I had one person on my side.
“There’s something else I wanted to tell you,” Lana said, glancing down.
I had a bad feeling about what the something was, since she wouldn’t look at me.
“I got a call from Jeanne…your mother.”
“Oh, no.”
“Well, as you can imagine, she’s worried about you. It seems that the university has emailed about your, um…lack of attendance.”
“They would, since my mother is the one covering the tuition.” I paused. “Then why didn’t my mother call me?”
“She says that she did, but you told her everything was fine,” Lana said. “She’s your mother. In my experience, mothers have a sixth sense about these things.”
“She didn’t mention that the university had contacted her.”
“No…she wanted to check things out first,” Lana said. “That’s why she spoke to you, hoping that you’d volunteer the information. That if you were having issues, you’d tell her.”
That wasn’t good. A situation was developing; I could tell.
“And your mother was hurt that you didn’t confide in her.”
I scrubbed my palm over my face. “May I ask how you reacted to all of this?”
Lana glanced away, not a good sign. “Uh…I think I said that I was worried about you too.”
I cringed, then put my head in my hands. It was dreadful to think about what my mother’s emotional state was. She could be difficult to placate once she got stirred up about something.
After dinner, Lana and I went back to the dorm. She did some reading, while I stewed over the situation with my mother. There was no chance that she wouldn’t confront me about my irresponsible behavior. It was only a matter of when. I could have called her, but preferred to put off the inevitable for as long as possible.
A few days went by, and I prayed that I was in the clear. That type of thinking was foolhardy. Failing at college was hardly an issue that would go away. And my mother wasn’t going to ignore it.
On one of my walks around campus, my phone vibrated. I saw that my mother was calling, so I sat on a bench to talk to her. “Hello, Mother.”
“I think you know why I’m calling.”
“Lana mentioned that she’d spoken to you,” I said. “You could have just called me.” Accusing my mother wasn’t a good move.
“I did call you.”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t see the need to distress you,” I said. “Some things I can deal with on my own.”
“Like dropping out of life and failing school.” My mother paused. “I’ve spoken to the administration office and was informed about reports from your professors.”
I’d been called to come into the office a few times but had ignored the summons.
“It’s just that—”
“What, Mirela? It’s just that what?” My mother didn’t get angry often, but had an explosive temper when she did.
I could have assured her that I’d attend class, that I’d had some issues, but I’d figured them out. Yet I wasn’t prone to lying. I’d gone to a class or two in the past couple of weeks. That had been woefully inadequate and hadn’t come close to patching up the trouble.
“I have other things on my mind.”
“I’m aware of what you have on your mind…that boy.” My mother was silent for a moment. “When Draven’s accident happened, I let you work things out by yourself. You didn’t want my help, or any help.”
I didn’t like the sound of her voice.
“But I’m telling you, Mirela…if you continue to miss class, you will be asked leave the university. And I won’t allow that. I’m paying for your education, with your father’s assistance. And I’m determined for you to get your degree, so you can do well in life.”
I swallowed hard.
“Is that too much to ask?”
There was no way to argue.
“I mean it,” my mother said. “If I have any more reports of your delinquent behavior, I will come to the university. I will see that you receive appropriate therapy, or whatever counseling the school recommends.”
My stomach fell. On rare occasions, my mother had mentioned my unstable state, but I hadn’t paid much attention. She’d made a comment once that the whole Draven thing had made me crazy. But she’d dropped it, so I’d forgotten.
Now the sentiment had returned in living color. If my mother went through with her threat, I’d have professionals breathing down my neck. I wouldn’t be able to follow through on my plan. It would ruin my focus and curtail my independence.
“Mother…please.”
I was an adult. I didn’t have to attend college. I could have told her that I was withdrawing and end this drama. But I didn’t want that. I’d seen Draven on campus, and all the supernatural sightings seemed connected with where I was.
“Well?”
“I’m on my way to class,” I said, groaning to myself.
“See that you are.” My mother didn�
�t end the call. “Mirela…I love you. You are my precious daughter.”
“I love you, too, Mother.” When she was gone, I put the phone in my lap and stared into space. One more problem had been added to the list. I needed to get myself together, attend class, and keep my grades up. Yet that would take me away from my primary goal.
Draven was more important, and too much time had gone by. I couldn’t imagine what he’d been through since he’d disappeared. I leaned my head against the back of the bench and gazed at the gray sky. I was stuck between two worlds…with no clear path ahead.
Chapter 13 – Draven
The monsters loyal to my enemies held me captive in the dark. I’d been forcibly removed from the aboveground human world. I was still furious at being torn apart from Mirela. My rights had been usurped, at the precipice of the very cliff where I’d stood beside her.
It was difficult to say how much time had transpired; it seemed like an eternity that I’d been restrained. Although the evil ones had pinned my wrists and ankles in place with titanium cuffs, they had no way to completely block my abilities.
I was of ancient blood, descended from the most revered of our race. The minions who sought to subdue me lacked methods to control my mind or contain my powers. Yet I was weakened by the physical restraints, including the four-inch band around my neck.
The neck collar was set to activate if I tried to escape. It emitted a light beam so strong it could sever my head from my shoulders. My jailors were certain I wouldn’t test its effectiveness. My spine and muscles ached from the extended stay at the torture chamber, and my mental state was poor.
When I’d pleaded with Mirela to forget, and to make no attempt to locate me, I’d been deadly serious. The thought of her in the hands of my torturers, or worse, filled me with anguish. There had to be a way to keep her safe.
Although, in my current state, I was ill-equipped to do so. Going to her in the first place had been a concession to my burning desire to see my only love. In my haste to lay eyes on her, I hadn’t thought it through or considered the consequences.