“Oh yeah?” Corey said. “What’s that?”
It was about this time that I noticed a steady line of about twelve guys come through the door, also dressed in black tuxedos. But they carried themselves differently from the private school boys. They were stiffer, more alert. And then I saw Christian.
May tugged on me to get me to face forward, toward Tyler and Corey. “We can’t dance,” she said, “and we were hoping you could teach us how.”
Tyler bowed and extended his hand toward me. “We’d be honored.”
I glanced over again toward the doors. The Guardians had spread out and positioned themselves around the room. They looked like club bouncers, with their hands clasped together and their stern expressions.
“Go ahead, Llona,” May encouraged.
I turned back to Tyler and took his hand. He guided me onto the dance floor, glancing back at me several times to make sure I didn’t get tangled into other dancers.
Halfway there I felt Christian’s eyes on me. Don’t look over, I told myself. Stare straight ahead. Maybe Christian would get angry at me for dancing with someone else. That would sure make things easy if he was the one who ended our relationship. But as Tyler placed his hand around my waist, I knew that would never happen. I’d have to really mess things up to make him do that.
“Do you really not know how to dance,” Tyler asked, “or was your friend just saying that?”
I glanced over at May not far away with Corey. She was moving with him as if she’d invented ballroom dancing. “Apparently she was just saying that, but I honestly can’t dance.” I made a mental note to scold May later.
“It’s easy,” Tyler said. “I hold your hand like this,” he raised his left hand, which was holding mine, “and then you put your left hand on my shoulder and rest your arm on mine. Easy, right?”
“Sure, but what about my feet?”
“Just follow me,” he said and grinned. He pressed me to his chest and practically lifted me as he spun me around the room. The way he was doing it made dancing easy. It almost felt like I was floating.
“So, where are you from?” he asked.
“I moved here from Utah not long ago.”
“Utah, huh? I’ve been skiing there. I loved it. You ever been?”
I laughed. “I tried once. My little car wouldn’t make it up the mountain, and I had to go back.” Just then—it was an accident, I swear it was—my eyes met Christian’s. He gave a tight smile and nodded formally, making me lose my balance, and I stumbled.
Tyler’s grip tightened. “You okay?
I nodded. “Klutzy, I guess.” I turned my head the other direction, away from Christian.
Tyler and I continued to talk. He seemed like a normal guy with high ambitions. Already he was interning at the mayor’s office in New York City. Under any other circumstance I might’ve been interested in him, but all I could think about was Christian, despite my best efforts not to.
When the orchestra finished, Tyler asked, “Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’d love something.”
“Wait here then,” he raised my hand and kissed the top of it gently. I stared after him, wondering what that would’ve felt like if I wasn’t in love with someone else.
I stayed where I was, swaying slightly to the violins that had just started up again. I glanced over when I heard May laugh again. Corey was dipping her. She looked like she was having a great time.
“You look beautiful,” a familiar voice said.
I turned around. Christian was standing directly in front of me, only a few inches of air between us. The nearness made my heart race. I lowered my eyes. “Thank you. You look good too.”
“I want to dance with you,” he said, breathing deeply.
I looked up, glancing around nervously. “You can’t. You know that.”
He closed the small space between us until I was forced to step back. “I don’t care.” He moved toward me again.
My cheeks flushed, and I made the mistake of looking into his eyes; they burned with passion, and the lights above reflected in them, making them even more intense. He reminded me of a hungry wolf. I stepped back again. “We can’t.”
He moved forward. After me. I continued backing up to keep our bodies from touching, but he wouldn’t stop.
I glanced behind me. Christian was guiding me into the long, white curtains hanging from the ceiling. “We can’t do this, Christian. You have to stop.”
“Stop me, then,” he said. He kept pursuing, and I kept moving.
I felt the soft material part as I stepped backward into it; the silkiness of it against my back was like a hand caressing my skin. I sucked in air and continued to move into the white layers until they hid us completely.
Christian said nothing. His gaze left my eyes and traveled to my mouth, considering it like it was something he wanted to conquer. My lips parted in anticipation of what was to come. His fingers found mine, and he tugged my hand forward, pulling my body next to his. His other arm tightened against my back until I was pressed against him.
Christian’s lips fell onto my neck. Very gently, he kissed my skin. His mouth continued to trail up my neck until he found my lips. The kiss started out soft, but all of a sudden my arms were around his neck, trying to get him even closer.
“Um, you guys might want to stop.”
I immediately stepped back, my breathing coming in great gasps.
May was a few feet away, parting the curtains. “Sophie’s looking for you, Christian. And she’s mad.”
I looked back at Christian. He was staring at me, breathing just as hard and cheeks flushed. He smiled. “I better go.”
I nodded.
Christian remained where he was, still looking at me like he wasn’t finished. I didn’t dare move either. I didn’t want to.
“Oh, come on!” May said. She pushed Christian away. “And straighten your tie!”
Christian looked over his shoulder at me and winked before he disappeared.
“That looked pretty hot,” May said.
With Christian gone, the realization of what had just happened hit me hard. “What did I just do?”
May laughed. “Kissed your boyfriend. What’s the big deal?”
“We need to stay away from each other, remember? At least until I figure out what the future holds for us.”
“Does he know that?”
I paused. May had a point. I shook my head. “I really need to grow a pair of ovaries and just talk to him.”
May smiled. “You’ll figure it out.” She put her arm around me and ushered me forward, parting the curtains along the way. “Tyler’s looking for you.”
I groaned. “I think I’ll sneak outside. He’s nice, but I don’t feel like dancing anymore.”
“I’ll come with you for a minute. I could use some fresh air too.”
“Is Corey cool?” I asked her when we were almost to the doors.
May nodded. “He’s just super formal.”
“Which equals boring.”
May smiled. “Maybe.”
“Hey, guys, wait!”
I turned around. Kiera was hurrying toward us, lifting up her green gown so she didn’t trip. “Where are you going?”
“Outside,” May said.
“We’ll be back though,” I added.
Her shoulders slumped. “Can I come? I just endured a ten-minute lecture on US relations with the Middle East.”
I laughed and pushed open the door. “Sounds like we could all use a break.”
We were only a few steps into the hall when two Guardians appeared. Jackson being one of them. Other than them, the hall was empty.
“Hello, Llona,” he said, nodding his head. “You look lovely tonight, as do your friends.”
May and Kiera turned to me, probably expecting an introduction, but I didn’t have time before the other Guardian said, “Where do you three think you’re going?”
“Lay off, Spencer,” Jackson said. “They probabl
y are just going to powder their noses. Isn’t that right?”
May laughed. “Do we look like the type of girls who powder our noses?”
Spencer sneered. “Then you must be trying to go outside to meet up with some boys, isn’t that right?” He flipped his head to the side, to get his long brown hair out of his eyes.
“No,” I said and my gaze met Jackson’s. “It’s like he said. We’re going to the restroom.”
Jackson smiled.
“Let’s go, girls.” I began to walk, but Spencer stuck out his arm, making me run into it. And it was this unwelcomed contact that sent a surge of anger, igniting that dark thing inside me I didn’t understand.
“I don’t believe you,” Spencer said. “You said your name’s Llona?” He looked at Jackson, who gave him a warning look. “As in, Llona Reese?”
I turned to him slowly, my breathing quickening. Stay calm. “Is there a problem?”
“I’ve heard about you. You’re a troublemaker.”
Jackson straightened. “That’s enough, Spence. Let them go.”
“What he said,” May said. She pulled on my arm to get me back by her and Kiera.
I should’ve gone with her, but all my nerves were burning with energy, and not the kind that made me want to run. The kind that made me want to fight. I thought of all the ways I could hurt him, and the sound his bones might make when I broke them, and the blood I might see. My expression must’ve been showing my thoughts, because Jackson gave me a firm nudge. “Go. Get out of here.”
My mind broke through some of the anger, and I took a deep breath. Spencer was staring me down, and it took every ounce of strength I had to turn away. “Come on,” I said to May and Kiera.
We were halfway down the hall when May asked, “What was that all about?”
I just shook my head, but then I heard Spencer’s voice say, “That girl is a certifiable nut job. Did you see the way she was looking at me?”
Whatever restraint I had been maintaining shattered. I whirled around and walked back to Spencer.
Jackson was shaking his head. “What now?” he said.
Spencer pointed a long finger at me. “You better stop right there.”
I cocked my fist and propelled it forward like a rock from a slingshot. It smashed into Spencer’s nose. The sound of cartilage and bone grinding against each other sent a shot of adrenalin throughout my body. But it was the blood spraying from his nose that excited me the most. As Spencer was falling back, I jumped on top of him, my dress ripping up the side, and continued to smash my knuckles into Spencer’s blood-covered face.
I landed three blows before Jackson was tearing me off. May was right there, telling me to calm down. Behind her, Kiera’s eyes were big. I saw and heard them all, but all I felt was the storm raging inside me. I struggled against Jackson, thrashing my head and legs at him in an attempt to free myself so I could get back at Spencer.
“Chill out, Llona!” Jackson shouted.
May stepped in front of me and placed her hands on my arm. I cried out when they began to burn my arm. The pain of it was enough to bring me back. I looked at May.
“I’m sorry, Llona,” May said, her eyes tearing.
I glanced at Spencer. He was lying on the ground, holding his face and moaning.
“Are you finished?” Jackson asked.
I relaxed in his arms. He let me go, and I stumbled forward, away from them. I looked back just once. They were all staring at me with horror, but their shock and disgust were nothing compared to the way I felt about myself.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, just before I turned and ran down the hall and out the doors.
ELEVEN
Nighttime had arrived, but it still wasn’t dark enough for me. The full moon cast light in every direction, making it difficult for me to hide. I found a place, behind Risen Auditorium, where it was quiet and dark. I leaned against the building, breathing heavily. Adrenalin, along with that other thing, still coursed through me, and it took several minutes until I was able to relax fully.
I sunk to the ground, May’s dress already ruined, and buried my head into my hands. The air cooled the back of my neck, and it was a welcome relief to the heat I’d felt earlier. I remained like this for some time, and only when I heard the last of the vehicles drive away from Lucent did I finally move.
Peeking around the side of the building, I saw that the grounds were empty and quiet. A few lights remained on inside Chadni Hall; probably the Lizen woman cleaning up after the dance. But after another thirty minutes, the lights shut off and a breeze blew as if Chadni had given one last breath before it fell asleep.
I didn’t return to my room. Instead I left my shoes next to the brick wall and headed toward the shed near the outer wall. The grass was damp under my bare feet, and its coolness spurred me on. I picked up my pace, wanting to get as far away from Lucent as possible. Within feet of the shed, I leapt up to the roof and over to the stone wall. I paused, the forest only a short run away.
So much had happened tonight. I glanced back at Lucent, wind blowing the dress around my legs. What if Christian had seen me earlier? Would he have been as disgusted as the others? Maybe I should be more concerned with trying to protect him from me than anything else.
I stared out into the forest, thinking of Christian, and swallowed hard. What would I have to do to push him away? He meant everything to me, but I couldn’t bear if any harm were to befall him. I loved my mother, but how could she risk the life of the man she loved, especially if she’d been warned ahead of time?
As much as I wanted to go into the forest, I stayed, knowing that I shouldn’t give in so easily to these new desires inside me. Whatever they were couldn’t be good. Not wanting to think of what had happened anymore, I sighed and laid back on the top of the wall, my legs crossed. I stared into the black sky and began to count the stars.
I was on seventy-two when a sound made me sit up. I looked toward the forest, my skin exploding into a cold chill. There it was again. A low, throaty growl near the tree line maybe fifty feet away. The forest was an impermeable wall of darkness. A tree moved, more like bent forward, branches snapping and wood breaking, as if someone incredibly strong had pushed against it.
I stood up—more like jumped up. A figure stepped out of the forest; moonlight bathed his bare, muscular chest, and when he lifted his head, his eyes glowed an eerie yellow. His mouth opened, like a tiger yawning, and blood dripped from his teeth.
I stumbled back at the sight of the Vyken, almost falling from the wall, but the momentum of my arms kept me in place. The Vyken’s eyes focused on me. I glanced around, frantically looking for a Guardian.
The Vyken began moving. Toward me. My breathing quickened. What is he doing? His pace increased until he was sprinting. I quickly jumped off of the wall, inside Lucent Academy, and backed up.
I’m safe. Lucent is safe, I told myself, breathing hard. I kept my eyes on the wall, all the while stepping back slowly. But all that changed when the Vyken’s tensed body appeared over the wall as if he were flying. He landed on the ground in a crouched position, and his head snapped up in my direction.
I stopped breathing and turned to run, my hair tangling around my face. I ran as fast as I could, my bare feet kicking up grass and earth. Behind me, I heard footsteps pounding. And they were gaining on me.
I looked around, trying to decide which direction to go. The dorms at Chadni were too far away. To my left was Denelle Hall, which was probably locked, but straight ahead was the clock tower, a steel door at its base. I’d only been in it once before, and as far as I knew, it shouldn’t be locked.
I ran harder, but it wasn’t much faster because I was already sprinting. Every time I took a breath, my lungs felt like they were being shredded. I glanced behind me. The Vyken was only twenty feet behind, blood smearing the lower half of his face. The distance between us wouldn’t give me enough time to open and close the door. I needed to move faster.
Focusing all my energy, I w
ent beyond the Light, to where the dark parts of my mind were, the parts I’d felt earlier tonight. There I found pieces of Mr. Steele, his strength, his speed.
I willed it into me despite my earlier horror. I needed strong power and fast. A burst of strength, far surpassing anything I’d ever experienced, shot through me like a bolt of lightning. I sprang forward, putting a greater distance between me and the Vyken, and just in time too. I reached the clock tower and shoved my shoulder into the old, metal door. It opened with a great groan, and as soon as I was in, I slammed it shut.
Now to lock it.
I frantically looked around for something to use, but there was nothing. Only a dusty concrete floor and a circular staircase going up. Reacting quickly, I used my new strength to break the metal handle. I only hoped that would be enough.
I backed up and stepped upon the first stair. A crashing sound, like the Vyken had just run into the door, echoed throughout the circular tower. So far the door was holding. I took another step up.
Only a sliver of moonlight had found its way to the bottom of the tower, casting shadows in every direction. They seemed to shudder when the Vyken pounded on the door. Dust billowed up from the floor and spun in the gray light like dancing dead fairies. The door wouldn’t hold much longer. Where were all the Guardians?
I wiped sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand and hurried up the stairs. Below me, the door burst open, and a great wind rushed up to greet me. Behind the thundering noise, I heard my name being called. Far away.
I paused midway up the stairs and glanced out one of the tower’s few windows. Christian was sprinting toward us, shouting my name. I glanced around at the buildings, expecting to see lights turn on, but no one heard his cries.
I continued up the stairs, creating balls of Light as I went. Some of the dark power I’d been given dissipated, and I stumbled on the last step. My leg was stretched out, dangling over the stairs, and the Vyken grabbed it. I jerked my leg free, but cried out when his nails tore through my skin. I continued forward, scampering into the lone room at the top of the tower and to the other side. I pressed my back against the stone walls, my hand shaking beneath several glowing lights hovering just above them.
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