by Eliza Nolan
I lean forward to get a better look. The ones in black cloaks are all my age and several of them look familiar. One of them looks up, right at the window. Right at me.
"She's here!" he yells.
Chapter Eleven
The bell finally rang; ceramics class was over. I rushed to finish cleaning up my tools and Graham and I headed outside. I'd waited all day to find out if he had anything new, but there were always people around, and I didn't want to be overheard talking about secret societies and my weird dreams. It was like we had no place to talk.
"I called my friend, Luke," Graham said as we stood across the street from school. "He said he'd check out Jack and the other Phoenixes, but I haven't heard back yet." He rubbed his neck with his hand. "I'll check again tonight, but right now I got nothing."
I dug the toe of my boot into the sidewalk. My turn to share. "I had another dream."
Graham's brow creased.
I told him about the huge mansion in the swamp.
"That has to be the Temple. I've heard about it, but haven't seen it." Graham shoved his hands in his pockets.
"I tried to find out what they were doing, but all I could see were a bunch of old men standing around the people in those cloaks. I thought you said they were all high school students. Who were the old guys?"
Graham's jaw tensed. "When we started, it was just us. Some bored guys who found a book. It was something to do. But once Jack's father found out we had the book, things got serious. His father got involved, holding us to the rules of the Phoenix. I never met anyone else, but I got the feeling Jack's dad had a group of other, older men that were also in some sort of secret group. I was thinking maybe the guy outside the coffee shop on Sunday was from Jack's father's group."
"So, are they the ones in the higher level of the Phoenixes?" I asked.
"You know about the levels?" His eyes widened.
"The internet told me," I said, biting my lip. "It said people at the higher levels know secrets that the lower level doesn't. Would they know why I'm dreaming about them?"
"I don't know. The only thing I know about the next level is that we were supposed to be able to 'harness new power,' whatever that means."
His talk of powers instantly made me think of the other weird things happening to me. My healing Graham's migraine, and then there was that freakish lock breaking incident. Was he talking about magical power?
He answered my next question before I'd asked. "I didn't really believe there was a magical power or anything. Like I said, it was just something to do. Before I knew it, things were way out of control. That's why we left."
Graham checked his watch. "I have to go to my last class. I have homework to turn in. I'll see you at The Mark?"
I nodded. I watched Graham head back inside, and it struck me. He'd said he didn't believe in magic, I didn't either, but why had he even brought it up? Did the book talk about magic? I wished I could get my hands on it.
* * *
I slid into a booth near the window. The waitress brought my coffee and I pulled out my government homework, hoping to get a jump start on it, and also to keep my mind off all the crazy stuff.
I was digging through my bag for a pencil, when the bell on the door jingled and Libby walked in. I wasn't sure what someone strung out on crystal meth looked like, but if I had to guess, it was something like Libby just then. Her wide, bloodshot eyes darted back and forth at lightning speed and her body twitched. What the heck was wrong with her? I felt a pang of genuine concern; something was definitely going on with her.
She rushed over to my booth and sat down across from me.
"Libby, what's wrong?" I asked. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay," she said, her voice weak and shaky. "I'll never be okay again." She rocked back and forth in the booth like she'd totally lost it. Chills shot up my spine.
"Can I call someone for you?"
"I'm not the one you should be worried about, Julia." Her voice deepened and grew louder. "You need to worry about him."
"Who? Graham?" I asked.
"He's coming for you. You're in big trouble. You shouldn't have had those dreams."
I leaned forward. "What?" How could she know? Why was she talking like this? No one knew about the dreams. Unless Graham told her. But he wouldn't.
"You shouldn't have had those dreams, and now that you know, you're going to have to pay. Just like they all pay. Pay! Pay! Pay!" She slammed her fists down on the table over and over again making my coffee clatter and splash across the surface.
I rescued my cup just as it was about to fall off the edge of the table and sat there, gripping it and staring at her. She'd gone completely nuts. "Libby, you're scaring me,"
"You dreamt about the lodge and the rites. You don't have the right to know about the rites." She giggled maniacally at her own pun.
"What rites?" I asked. Was she talking about ones from the book?
"You know the rites!" she yelled. "You've seen the Circle of the Phoenix. Now you have to pay the price."
The waitress hollered from across the room. "Calm down over there or you'll have to leave!"
I wanted to leave. I wanted to run, but it didn't matter how much of a bitch Libby was, I couldn't leave her like this. She needed help. I got up and moved to her side. "What are you talking about? Who do you think is coming after me?" I reluctantly put my hand on her shoulder. The minute I touched her, her body relaxed, and she stopped rocking. Her head fell into her hands and she quietly sobbed. I put an arm around her, not sure what else to do.
She looked up as if recognizing me for the first time. "What's happening, Julia?"
"I don't know. What were you talking about? How did you know all those things?" I asked.
Libby's brow wrinkled. "What did I say?"
"You said someone was coming after me. Do you know who?"
"I don't. I don't remember anything," she said. "Please don't tell anyone I was here." She scrambled over me in the booth and hurried out of the restaurant.
Ookaaay. I had to calm down and try to take in what just happened. Was I seeing things or did the most popular girl in school just go psycho on me? And how in the world did she know about the dreams I was having?
Maybe I'd hallucinated. Maybe Libby hadn't come in. Or maybe I'd fallen asleep and this was all just another dream. I pulled a wad of napkins from the table dispenser and mopped up my spilled coffee. I had to be awake; no way did I spend my dreamtime wiping up cheap coffee.
The waitress came over to refill my cup. "What was that all about?" she asked. "What's the 'Circle of the Phoenix'?"
"I wish I knew," I lied, thankful that the waitress had seen the same thing I had. At least I wasn't hallucinating.
The bell on the door jingled again. Graham came in and I got up to meet him. Sliding my arms around his waist, I buried my head in his chest. He folded me in his arms and held me there for a moment. I inhaled deeply for a few breaths, taking in his sweet musky scent, and felt some of the anxiety in my shoulders ease.
"What's wrong?" he asked when I finally released him and we sat down.
"Libby was just here," I explained. "She kept on saying these weird things, things about stuff she shouldn't know, and then she broke down crying."
"What'd she say?" he asked, concerned.
"She said I shouldn't have seen the Circle of the Phoenix, and that I shouldn't have had those dreams. She said some guy was coming after me, but when I asked her who she was talking about, she said she didn't know. She acted like she didn't even remember saying it to me in the first place."
"I think Libby is possessed," he said.
"No kidding." I laughed.
"No, I'm serious. The book told us how to do it, but we never tried. The way I remember it, once they've charmed someone, that person is automatically drawn towards any outsider who knows about our rituals. Then they can be possessed by the person who charms them, allowing the charmer to send warnings to the outsiders. The charm has a dual purpose. It
scares off outsiders and the person who's charmed also acts as a compass, pointing out anyone who knows our secrets. All they need to do is charm someone and wait to see if they seek anyone out."
"So, someone charmed Libby, and now they know who I am? Why are they trying to scare me? It's not my fault I dreamt about their stupid circle."
"I'm sorry, Julia. I still don't know. But we'll figure this out." He slid his hand around my neck and gently massaged it. I had no idea how tense I was. His touch eased that pressure, and I melted a little, leaning into his side. What was going on? Did I really have to be on the lookout for these Phoenixes, or was I just paranoid? Was any of this even real?
Worrying about it wasn't going to change anything. I might as well distract myself with the mountain of homework piling up. I only had five classes, but I had enough homework for ten. I spread out my government homework and Graham smiled. He pulled some books out of his own bag. Maybe I wasn't the only one getting behind. But he draped his arm over my shoulders. Concentrating was going to be a little tricky.
I did somehow manage to get some work done. Around dinnertime we folded up our books. Dad, of course, wanted me home, so Graham gave me a ride.
We got to my house and he walked me to the door. He put his arms around me. "Please don't worry about this." He bent down to my eye level. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." He leaned in and kissed me gently on the lips. It was just a quick peck, but the light touch of his lips against mine sent heat radiating through me. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and looked up into his sleepy, blue eyes.
"See you tomorrow, Julia."
"Goodnight." We released each other, reluctantly, and I fumbled in my bag until I found my keys. I unlocked the door and slid inside.
Chapter Twelve
I woke up to silence. It took me a moment to register what was different about the morning. It was too quiet, and the sun was too high in the sky.
I glanced over at my alarm clock and bolted upright. Eight o'clock. I'd overslept!
I jumped out of bed, ran to the bathroom and took a speed-shower, brushed my teeth, and ran a brush through my hair. I threw on some clothes, grabbed my bag, and rushed out of the house towards the bus stop.
I was used to riding the school bus in the morning, but the city bus was a different story. Still, I'd done it a few times before. This wasn't the first morning I'd managed to sleep through my alarm, and, unfortunately, Dad always left for work before I got up, so he wasn't able to drive me.
When I got on the bus it was pretty full. I grabbed the last window seat, and almost immediately, a guy sat down next to me.
"Nice morning, isn't it?" the man said.
Crap, he was a talker. Every once in a while I got someone on the bus who would talk the entire time. They started innocently enough with the morning news, but somehow they'd manage to steer the conversation in such insane directions that by the end of the bus ride, they'd shared their plans to build a bridge from Alaska to Russia or whatever, and that was twenty minutes I'd never get back. Besides, talking to people that early in the morning required too much brainpower. I preferred to take my morning ride in silence.
"Yeah," I said, keeping my answer as short as possible and avoiding eye contact. Anything to convey my serious lack of interest in holding a conversation.
"On your way to school?" he asked.
"Yes," I said, my voice as monotone and boring as I could manage.
"Are you in high school or college?"
"High school," I said. I dug around in my bag for something I could read so he would leave me alone.
"I can't believe your boyfriend would let you ride the bus to school. Doesn't he have a car?" he asked.
Ugh. Gross. He was probing to see if I actually had a boyfriend. This guy couldn't possibly think I would date him, could he? He was like fifty or something; more than old enough to be my father. Sick.
I usually had a made-up boyfriend for when people asked me, but this time I didn't have to lie. I was kinda dating Graham. It wasn't a total lie, anyway. We'd been out on a date, and he had kissed me. He was my almost-boyfriend.
"My boyfriend usually does drive me to school," I lied. I didn't want this guy to get the idea that I spent a lot of time alone. "He was just running late today. That's why I'm taking the bus."
"So he's pretty protective of you, then?"
Oh God. Why couldn't we be talking about that bridge to Russia? What was this guy getting at? Was I going to have to make a scene and get him kicked off the bus?
"Yes, I suppose he is protective," I replied.
"That's good for you," he said. I felt his eyes on me.
Enough. I got up, pushed passed him and walked to the back of the bus where I found an empty seat next to a woman wearing headphones. When I sat down she didn't even turn her head - very reassuring. Maybe I could finish my bus ride in peace.
As we got closer to school, I worried the guy might follow me when I got off. I eyed him subtly. He was big, there'd be no way I could overpower him. But he was older, so maybe outrunning him was an option.
Luckily, the bus stopped a few blocks from my stop and he headed to the back exit. On his way he paused beside me. "I'm sure Graham will protect you."
"What?" I sprang back in my seat, knocking my head into the panel behind me. I hadn't told him Graham's name, I swear I hadn't.
"I said have a nice day," he said, and winked at me as he climbed off the bus.
The bus pulled up a few feet and idled at a red light. The man stood on the sidewalk looking at me through the window. I couldn't help looking back.
He had on a long, wool overcoat and shiny, leather shoes. A pressed collar and tie peeked out the top of his coat. His hair was carefully styled. He stood on a street corner littered with cigarette butts and discarded fast-food packaging. Gang graffiti covered the brick wall behind him, and he was just a block from crack row where you could buy any drug or service for a fee.
He didn't look scared, though; he held his head high and his shoulders were relaxed. He looked powerful. A chill ran through me as his eyes met mine one last time. The light turned green and the bus drove on.
Even though my stop was several blocks from where he'd gotten off, I ran the final block to school.
As soon as I got past the security guards at the door, I found Graham coming down the hall towards me. Class had just let out. His eyebrows drew together in concern. "Are you okay? Why are you out of breath?" He slid his arm around my shoulders.
"I'm okay, now," I said, getting my breathing under control. "I think." I turned back to the door to make sure there was no older, rich-looking, creepy man trying to gain entry to our school. For once I was really glad we had security guards at the entrance.
"What happened?" He straightened, watching the school entrance with me.
"Some weird guy on the bus was talking to me. At first I thought he was just one of those people who like to talk, but then he asked if I had a boyfriend and it freaked me out, so I got up and moved towards the back of the bus."
"He left you alone after that, right?"
"Not exactly." I pulled my hair back out of my face. "He didn't follow me or anything, but just before he got off the bus, he said 'I'm sure that Graham will protect you.' But I'd never told him your name."
Graham's muscles tensed, and his eyes remained locked on the entrance. "What'd this guy look like?"
I told him what I could remember, that he looked out of place in such a rundown neighborhood.
"And you're sure you never told him my name? Maybe you didn't hear him right."
"I know what I heard. He said your name and I know I never told him. He really scared me."
He pulled me into his arms and held me close. "It wasn't the guy from outside the coffee shop on Sunday night, was it?"
"No," I mumbled, burying my face in his neck. His arms were so strong and safe. I rested there. "What the heck is going on?"
"I'm not sure, Julia. I do know I'm not letting
you out of my sight until I can figure this out. I promised I'd keep you safe, and I intend to keep that promise."
"So what, are you going to move in with me at my dad's?" I said, only half-joking.
"I'll figure something out. I have a few hours yet to worry about that." He smiled and gave me a squeeze. "For now, let's get you to class."
Graham walked me to and from all of my classes for the rest of the day, which I'd have appreciated as sweet if it weren't for the fact I was terrified. I stayed in ceramics through sixth period since he couldn't leave, and I didn't want to risk running into the scary man again.
Graham picked me up from class when school was over, and we went to his car. "Have you figured out how you're going to keep me in your sights all night yet?" I asked.
"No, but I'm working on it. Give me time." He smiled and took my hand, weaving his fingers in mine. "Can I take you out in the meantime?"
"I better check with my dad first." I dug my phone out and called him at his office.
"Yes, Julia, what is it?" He sounded irritated. Not a good sign.
"I was wondering if I could go out after school," I said.
"Not tonight, Julia. I've had a rough day at work, and I just want to know where you are. I want you home for dinner."
"Please? Can't I go out tonight if I stay home tomorrow or something?" I begged.
"Not tonight. I want you home, and that's final."
I pressed my lips together.
When Dad said something was final, he meant it. I was about to give in when Graham's hand touched my shoulder. "Just a second, Dad," I said and put him on mute.
"Invite me over for dinner," Graham said.
"No way! You have no idea what you'd be getting into." I cringed at the thought of him eating dinner with Dad. How embarrassing.
"It'll be fine, Julia. Just ask him, will you?" Graham fought back a smile as he watched me squirm.