Jen narrowed her eyes and glared at Savannah with a seething hatred. Pushing past the dozens of boys vying for her attention, Jen made her way towards her target. Searching for the boys everywhere, Savannah started to panic. All she needed was another bout with her.
Jen was a Nix who used to date Samuel. She was beautiful and also a little nuts. No matter how many times Savannah tried to convince her, Jen wouldn't believe that there was nothing going on between her and Samuel. At least, not on her end.
On the first day of school, Jen had almost blown Savannah's new cover, by calling her "Sarah." That was the name that Savannah used to use in public and the name that she had used when she first met Jen. That was about three weeks ago, and the Nix held a grudge like no other.
Savannah caught a glimpse of Samuel and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he was on his way to intercept Jen. Harry was making his way to her, with two brown paper bags gripped in his hand. He looked over his shoulder, probably to make sure that Samuel didn't need any backup.
Coming up to Savannah's side, Harry dug into one of his lunches and pulled out some beef jerky. "Don't worry, she'll eventually cool down," he said. Chomping down on the jerky, he offered a piece to the petite girl next to him before settling in to watch the show. Savannah waved off the jerky and joined him on the bench.
"Jen!" Samuel's voice rang out above the crowd, as he made his way over to her.
Jen turned, whipping her hair around, and flashed Samuel a brilliant smile. "Sammy!" she squealed. "Join me for lunch, please?" she asked, sticking her bottom lip out, and tempting him with doe eyes. She knew that she was irresistible to most, but his favor had been a lot more difficult to obtain. For a while, she thought she was losing her touch. Then she found out about Sarah, or Joleen, whatever her name was. Jen usually didn't care about competition, because she always blew them out of the water. But this girl was making things difficult. Jen didn't usually like her conquests. They were just there to keep her company and do her bidding. Sammy, however, was different. She liked different. He was a Morphling. If she could get a Morphling, then she could get him to look like whoever she wanted. He would be like her own personally molded Ken doll. But Sarah or Joleen was getting in the way. Jen felt obligated to teach her a lesson and put the new girl in her place.
"It looks like you have plenty of lunch dates," Samuel said, gesturing to the dozens of boys Jen had left standing in the lunch line. He looked at them with pity. They seemed lost without her. The way she played with people left a sick feeling in his stomach.
"Oh, but Sammy, they aren't you. And you know that I would dismiss them so that we can have privacy, if that's what you're concerned about," she said, putting an innocent tone in her voice. She lifted her finger to his chest and started outlining the shapes on his cotton surf-themed shirt.
Gently, he wrapped his hand around hers and firmly placed it back at her side. "You really should let them go, Jen," he said calmly.
An unflattering grimace passed over her face before she composed herself. "Or what? You'll sick your little Kite girlfriend on me? Didn't think I would figure it out, huh?" She saw Samuel's passive face replaced with one of anger. On some level, it scared her, but she didn't back down. "Whatever," she said dismissively. "You have your plaything, and I have mine," she said in her sing-song voice. "At least she won't be getting in the way of our prom plans. Don't forget to buy the tickets, Sammy." She raised her finger to outline his shirt again but decided against it. Plastering a smile on her face, she tried every trick she could think of to seduce him.
"I'm not taking you to prom, Jen! We've been over this. I don't even think that I'm going," said Samuel.
"Of course you're going, Silly!"
Samuel watched as Jen flounced away before heading the long way to the lunch line.
Harry and Savannah waited while Samuel got his food before the three of them made their way outside to sit under their favorite oak tree. The grass was a bit damp but still better than sitting on cafeteria benches.
Savannah breathed in the intoxicating scent of wildflowers and freshly cut grass. She was grateful to be out of the stuffy school, even if it was just for a little while.
"So what did she want this time?" Harry asked.
"Same ol', same ol'. But she did say that she knew Savannah was a Kite," Samuel grumbled. "I'm pretty sure that she doesn't know your real name, though," he said looking at Savannah. He wasn't sure how he felt about her brown hair. He missed the vibrant lime green that she usually sported. He almost didn't recognize her on her first day of school.
"Does it matter?" asked Savannah. "I mean, she's not going to walk up to a bunch of Siphons and tell them where to find me, right?"
"Probably not," said Harry. "But you never know what is going through a Nix's head. She hasn't gotten over 'Sammy'," he said, singing his name out in a funny impression.
Samuel tried to punch him in the arm, but Harry was expecting it and grabbed Samuel around the neck, wrestling him to the ground. Savannah leaned back against the tree, used to their horseplay. She pulled her legs in under her so they would be out of the way of the wrestling match. She pondered the latest threat. She wasn't fond of Jen, but it was hard to view her as anything but an annoyance.
Nix could be dangerous, but it was usually more subtle. They were cousins to Sirens and Mermaids. They could usually catch any Human under their spell. Those attracted to them flocked to their side, wanting to be with them. Those who weren't flocked to their side, wanting to be them. Supernaturals were harder for them to manipulate, but not impossible.
Savannah hated that Jen was able to weave her spells without leaving a trace. It made it difficult to predict and almost impossible for Savannah to defend herself-- at least without giving her location away to any bad guys who were paying attention. Being half Kite and half Morphling, Savannah was frustrated that she couldn't practice her abilities to learn how to control them better. So far, Jen had made it to where most of the kids just left her alone. That was fine with her. She just hoped that the Nix didn't step it up and start having the student body and staff attack her.
She wished that she could at least learn to use her Morphling powers more because they didn't really leave a trace. But Samuel, the only Morphling she knew, was grounded. He and Harry, who was a Werewolf, helped her track down the rogue pack that had taken her mother. She would be forever grateful for their help and friendship, though their own parents were not happy about it.
She ate her lunch quietly, savoring the fresh air and waiting for the boys to calm down again. Eventually, they tired out and dug into their own lunches. Harry, being a Werewolf, always brought two. Savannah couldn't imagine his parent's food bill. She knew that he had two younger siblings. From what Samuel had told her, they ate just as much and were just as wild as Harry.
Gazing at a sour Harry, Samuel asked him what was wrong.
"You keep cheating!" Harry accused him, glaring over his roast beef sandwich.
"I do not!" Samuel said defensively. "I just even the playing field."
"So maybe I should go wolf on you next time, then," grumbled Harry.
"Bring it on! The school would probably call the pound, though," Samuel said with a smirk.
Both boys broke into howling laughter, while Savannah just shook her head. They had this argument almost every day. Harry was so tall that he towered over everyone, and his amber mohawk made him appear even taller. Normally, he wore tank tops to show off his tats. But at school, he covered them with long sleeves and a leather jacket. Samuel chose a shorter height, topped with sun-streaked blond hair and a golden tan. Savannah had seen him in many different forms and styles, but when he was in his Human form, he always had striking blue eyes. Usually, he would keep the same looks, but she had seen him play with different hair colors.
When he was wrestling Harry, though, he would always beef up his arms with bear or wolf strength. It would always piss off Harry, because he couldn't do the same without turning into hi
s Werewolf form. Savannah had to admit that Samuel cheated, and he knew it, too.
"So, Eamon had an idea," she said tentatively.
Both boys looked up, with food in their mouths and wide eyes. The last time they had seen Eamon, he was trying to talk their parents down. They had run away to help Savannah, and Eamon found everyone squatting in his apartment. They both appreciated Eamon's efforts on their behalf, but he was formidable on the best of days. And, they had to admit, the eight-century-old Vampire scared the crud out of them.
Seeing that she had their attention, she turned to Samuel. "How are your grades doing?"
Samuel cringed. If this plan hinged on his grades, they were in trouble. "Not great," he admitted, swallowing the rest of his food. "Why?"
"Eamon thought that since I haven't been in school for a few years, I could use a tutor," she said, popping a grape in her mouth. Savoring the juice as she bit down, she thought that she would never tire of fresh food. Living off of Ho-Ho's and Yoohoo for five years gave her a rare appreciation of the foods that were now available to her.
Samuel sat back, leaning on his hands. "That's not a bad idea!"
"Yeah, maybe if you weren't failing almost every class," Harry smirked.
Samuel waved him off, "I could catch up and land on the honor roll if I wanted."
Nodding, Harry turned his attention back to his sandwich.
"Really?" Savannah asked, doubtfully.
"Yeah, it's no biggie. The classes are so easy; I just have to do the homework and charm the teachers. The hardest one will be Mr. Beacher. He doesn't really like anyone, and he doesn't cut deals," said Samuel. "If I tutor you, they may even skip you up a couple grades."
"I doubt that," Savannah said. She knew that Samuel was usually optimistic, but this was a bit much.
"Yeah, probably," Harry said, with a mouth full of food.
"So, would Eamon talk to my parents or something? I could start coming over right away! They've been keeping me in the 'no-change' room, and I'm going nuts!" Samuel said, eagerly. "Maybe, he could come over tonight, and..."
"Whoa! I'll talk to him. I get the feeling that he has other things going on, but I'll see if he can drop by tonight," Savannah said, putting her hands up in an attempt to slow him down. "We don't even know if your folks are gonna go for it."
"They have to! I don't even get to spend much time with Michael anymore. They won't let him up to see me," he said. Savannah could hear the hurt in Samuel's voice. He loved his brother, and it was painful for him to be away from him so much. The guilt that it was her fault tore at her stomach, and she pushed away the rest of her food. If it hadn't been for her and her mother, Samuel wouldn't be in so much trouble. It was different for Harry. His parents were a lot more lax, and in comparison, he got a slap on the wrist. She didn't know if it had anything to do with Harry graduating soon, or if it was a Werewolf thing.
Harry reached over and devoured the remains of Savannah's lunch.
"Leave that poor girl's food alone, Harry," Chrystal said, walking up behind him.
"She was done this time. Weren't you Sav...jo?" Harry said, pleading with Savannah to back him up. He even pulled out the big brown puppy eyes.
Savannah nodded and smiled up at Chrystal. She was a breath of fresh air and total honesty. Savannah almost felt bad about having to lie to her about her true origin. Chrystal was petite, curvy, and rocked a black spiky pixie cut with a thick purple streak in her bangs. She was also a Werewolf from Harry's pack and stood about a foot shorter than her boyfriend. They were an odd but incredibly cute couple.
Harry reached his long arms up and pulled Chrystal down into his lap so he could give her a proper hug and kiss. Savannah and Samuel looked at each other and smiled nervously. Somehow, it felt like the lovebirds needed some privacy, and they were intruders.
After a full minute of saying 'hello', Chrystal turned to Savannah, "So, I need a girls' day! I don't have a lot of girlfriends. I'm usually surrounded by boys all the time." She nudged Harry playfully in the ribs. "The few girls that I'm around are usually younger and aren't into the same things I am." Looking pointedly at Samuel and Harry, she continued, "I think you need a girls' day, too! Please! It looks like you're sticking around, and you aren't like that Jen!" she spat her name out.
Looking down at her with wide eyes, Harry said teasingly, "What's wrong with Jen?"
Rolling her eyes, Chrystal elbowed him in the ribs again before turning back to Savannah. "This guy," she said, poking Harry in the arm, "talked me into playing nice with Jen in the seventh grade. She had six prepubescent boys following me around, acting like slaves. It was horrible! Just looking at them with their glazed over eyes was sickening. And I'm around enough boys at home as it is!"
Samuel glared pointedly at Harry, "You really need to stop trying to fix people up with Jen."
"I just figure, if she made a friend that she can't manipulate, maybe she would stop being such a raging Smurf nugget," said Harry. Laughing, Samuel and Chrystal shook their heads.
"Just don't do that to, umm... Joleen," Samuel said, catching himself in front of Chrystal.
"Don't think I could if I wanted to," replied Harry.
Waving off the boys with her hands, Chrystal turned her attention back to Savannah. Clasping her hands together and using doe eyes, she begged her, "Mall? Tomorrow? We can find you new clothes! Oh! Makeover! Please say yes!"
Chrystal was talking so fast that Savannah could barely keep up. But she saw the desperation in Chrystal's eyes. New clothes sounded good, though, and she didn't really know what a 'girls' day' was. "Um, yeah, I guess," she mumbled, still slightly confused. It sounded as though it could be fun.
Chrystal threw her arms around Savannah, "Oh, thank god! I was a little nervous, but we're gonna have so much fun!" She was grinning from ear to ear, and Savannah had trouble not smiling along with her.
"I'll get your number after school and call you tonight!" Chrystal said, still grinning.
Savannah looked down at her new smartphone in the mesh bag of her backpack, still feeling unsure of how to use it. Eamon had insisted that she have one, and after he told her that it would be best to get ahold of her in case of an emergency with her mother, she agreed. Leaving her mother on a daily basis and not knowing how she was doing had been an issue for her for years.
"Babe, I thought we were going to the movies tomorrow. The new Vamp flick is coming out. Ya' know? Hot dogs, popcorn and lots of laughs," Harry interjected.
Chrystal looked up at Harry, "Babe! Girls' day!" In vain she attempted to smooth out the wrinkles in his shirt. "Besides, I have to find the perfect prom dress," she added, smiling.
"Ugh. I thought you were joking. Are we really going to that?" Harry asked, looking down at her.
"Yes! And don't forget to get the tickets!" Chrystal kissed him on the cheek and got up from his lap. "Just because you're going in jeans doesn't mean that I don't get to wear sequins and taffeta." She glanced at her watch, grabbed her books, and told Savannah that she would see her tomorrow, before heading back to the school. She was a personal assistant for Mr. Hanson, the Chemistry teacher, this period.
Harry grumbled and looked over at Samuel, "Why do girls need a day? How come we don't have Guys' Day?"
"We do; we just call it hanging out," said Samuel.
"Fine. You wanna hang out with me at the movies?" asked Harry, looking dejected.
"As tempting as that offer is, I can't. I'm grounded, remember? Why don't you take Silver and Byte? I bet you'd score a bunch of brownie points with your mom," laughed Samuel. Silver and Byte were Harry's little sister and brother. He usually got stuck babysitting them.
"Hey! That's not a bad idea," said Harry, as he thought about it. "I could use some extra brownie points lately."
The bell rang, indicating that everyone had to get back to class. Savannah threw her head back and sighed. 'More testing,' she thought. As she was walking through the door, she heard Samuel yell, "Don't forget to talk to Eamon!" She w
aved at him and headed back to the stale classroom.
Chapter 2
Waiting by the curb after school, Savannah made a point not to look for Samuel or Harry. She knew that since the boys helped her, their parents had started picking them up from school. She didn't even know what their families looked like or if they knew what she looked like. Instead, she opened one of the gardening books that she borrowed from the library while she waited for Hannah.
Hannah was Eamon's personal assistant, kind of. Hannah and her husband George were Human, otherwise known as Twitchies. Eamon had a strict set of rules when it came to them. He took every precaution to make sure they didn't find out about the Supernatural races. They cleaned his apartment or whatever home he was staying in at the time, cooked, kept his cars running, checked his mail, and made sure that his financial consultant was doing his job. Savannah was sure they did more but never bothered to ask what that was. In exchange for their service and discretion, they were well paid and were given their own nearby housing, all expenses paid. They also got to travel the world with Eamon and received paid time off when he had to go to Arc Sanctum.
Hannah pulled into the semi-circle parking lot in a black limousine. Savannah snapped her book shut, dropped her head, and sighed. So much for keeping a low profile. She could already hear the other kids whispering. Hannah stepped around the car to open the door for her, but Savannah waved her off and quickly climbed in. She crawled to the bench on the right side, keeping her back to the nosy onlookers. She laid down, hoping that the kids would forget that she was in there. Hannah jumped in the front seat and rolled down the barrier window between the driver and passenger.
"I'm sorry, Bunny. George had to keep the Prius in the garage to wait for some part or other. Mr. Thomson told me to use the limo," Hannah said. She knew that Savannah hated the limo. Eamon had offered it several times, and the girl always told him no. Savannah didn't respond, and Hannah decided to let it be. Pulling away, she thought about asking how school went, but the poor girl just looked exhausted.
Illuminated Embers Page 2