Gravity: The Gravity Series #1

by A. B. Bloom

  “Do you want to come in?" I fished around in my bag, looking for my keys, jangling them at her once I'd looped my finger through the keyring.

  "Love to," she groaned a little, "but I promised mum I'd help her take the twins to get their feet measured."

  I cringed. "Ooh, sounds nasty"

  "Sounds like hell." She glanced at her watch. "Better go."

  "Good luck," I called after her. She motioned a gun pointing at her head which made me laugh as she staggered her way down the road. With a shake of my head I let myself into the house.

  "Shh." Connor pushed me back against the door. His body unnecessarily close to mine—his hand across my mouth. My eyes widened and I contemplated biting him. "Shh. Don't make a noise."

  He lowered his hand. "You don't make a noise, you psychotic loser," I hissed. "What are you doing?" Clearly I'd made too much noise because he put his hand back over my mouth. Why did he have to stand so close? It was rude.

  "Someone's here." He murmured into my ear, hot breath brushing over my skin. My body went rigid and my pulse thudded. He leaned in closer, if that was at all possible. "Relax, I won't let anything happen to you." I tried to breathe but couldn't. I didn't want to end up like the other star children, slain for the choice that they might make. "I will look. You stand by the door. Run if you need to." He sighed and paused, his expression softening. "You’ll be able to go faster than you think." He didn't give me a chance to answer, in the blink of an eye he evaporated and left me stood by the door, my body shaking.

  I wasn't fast. My legs were trembling so much running wouldn't be an option. Falling over would be. I strained my ears and tried to hear a sign there was someone in the house, but all I could hear was the normal groans and moans of the old cottage. In a matter of moments, although it felt infinity longer, Connor came down the stairs. "You need to check your room and make sure that nothing is missing."

  "Are they gone?" Even my voice was shaking. I was so very badass with my new found star energy.

  "Looks like it." His eyes darted around, and I assumed he was measuring every possible threat.

  "Hold on, how do you know where my bedroom is?"

  Two eyebrows rose into his hairline. "Really? That's all you get from this?"

  He was different to Nick and Celeste. Connor sounded, well, he sounded normal.

  "Sweetheart, the least you've got to worry about right now is whether I know where your bedroom is." A bit too normal.

  I stared at him open mouthed. "You're an idiot."

  "I'm not here for you to like me, Bronte." His lip lifted in a sneer. "I'm here to make sure you make the right decision."

  "Yeah, what's that?" I was desperate for someone to tell me.

  "Well, you don't want the Stars to die, do you?" What? That wasn't what I was expecting. He carried on. "You don't want Nick to die, do you?" There was an underlying current to his voice I couldn't comprehend.

  "Well, no," I stuttered.

  "That's enough." Celeste pushed through the front door.

  Connor smiled, his teeth glinting white. "Ah, here's the Bronte squad."

  "Don't be an arse," she retorted. "What is going on?"

  "Someone's been in the house." Connor sounded bored, as he inspected his fingernails with undue scrutiny. Celeste started, her body poised. "They're gone now," he said. She relaxed fractionally and turned. "Bron, you do need to come to the camp, it would be better if we were together. The hunter is getting closer, he must be."

  "Wait, what about my mum?”

  "I'll sort that, I'm sure you are aware by now how convincing we can make things." They obviously hadn't met Aaron but that wasn't what I was talking about.

  "No, I mean, someone's been in the house, what if they come back for my mum?"

  Connor snorted. "Sweetheart, the hunter doesn't want your mum. He wants you. All of you. He wants every drop of blood in your veins so he can get all that unharnessed power you don't even know you've got."

  "Connor! That's enough." Celeste snapped and pushed him with her hands. He was much bigger than her but what looked like a tap against his chest flung him back a considerable distance.

  I didn't want to get caught in the middle of a star smackdown. "Okay, let's go to the camp. Do you promise my mum will be okay?" Connor slammed out of the front door and I watched him go.

  "She'll be fine, I promise. Trust me, I'm your lucky star."

  I laughed a little. I had to.

  "Grab a bag with some belongings."

  Her words made me hesitate. "I'm coming back, right?"

  "Yes, Bron. I will bring you home. That's a promise. It's just easier and safer if we are all together, especially now."

  “Why now?" I asked. Her face flickered with sadness and she licked her lips. "Because the hunter knows something has changed."

  "And?"

  "And he's coming to get you."

  We walked in the darkness. The night was oppressive, there was no light emitting from the sky, no Stars to guide the way. Well there couldn't be. They were all on earth. I had one guiding me, though. Celeste somehow created a light—it pulsated around the rose hue of her soul. I hadn't mentioned to Nick that I could see his soul just as bright as I could when I lay lost in the dark in the hospital. He'd gone before I'd had the chance, but also at the same time, I wasn't sure it was something that I could put into words.

  School had been a sensory overload. I hadn't taken the time to appreciate my new ability for what it was worth. It was pretty damn cool.

  "You're glowing." I said.

  Celeste looked over at me. "So are you."

  "I am not!" I lifted a hand and investigated but there was no glow, no glimmer, nothing, just skin.

  "Yeah, you are, you just can't see it."

  "Really?" I tried to look at myself closer but just ended up spinning around.

  "Really. It’s quite dazzling, and I imagine it will cause some problems. Just as well the camp's well lit."

  "Problems? How?"

  She clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Don't worry."

  "Where is this camp?" I asked. I still no idea what to expect. I mean, when they said ‘camping’ did they mean actual camping? With gas BBQ's and hotdogs?

  "On the moor."

  I stopped walking. "There’s no camp on the moor," I stated. If there were then Aaron would be there with the local constabulary trying to move it on.

  "How do you know? You've been in a coma."

  'Blimey, don't rub it in!"

  "Just saying." She tinkled a high-pitched laugh. "You wouldn't have been able to see it anyway, not before, if you can see it now remains to be seen."

  "Is this a test?" My familiar test sweat threatened to erupt. She laughed again and turned me to face the low stone wall edging the moor.

  "Not a test. Tell me what you see." Was she crazy? I couldn't see anything, it was pitch black, and honestly, a little bit scary. Her fingers held my arms, and her touch was strangely soothing. "Look, Bron."

  I looked but could still only see a black expanse in front of me. "Close your eyes, feel around you, throw your mind out into the distance and see what it meets."

  This was insane but I followed her instructions. Closing my eyes, I focused on where I was. I felt the pavement beneath my feet and the dry wall under my fingers where I held on tightly. I breathed in the air, sensing the grass and the scent of the earth and heather and something else. There was another scent lingering beneath the others. I chased it down, following it with my mind in the dark, it led me to a tent, but no tent I'd ever seen before. This was a huge swathe of heavy material, with peaks and slopes on the roof and gas lamps hanging from the ceiling. I inhaled deeply and the smell that hit me was one of jasmine, heady and intoxicating. If I pushed further with my mind, I could see inside the tent. A beautiful desk lay strewn with papers and thick rugs piled on the floor. Sitting on a rug was a person dressed in dark clothing. The chain in the pit of my stomach tugged persistently.

  "Okay,
you found it," Celeste made me jump by pinching my arm, hard.

  "Ow. What was that for?" I opened my eyes and was struck by the blinding darkness that surrounded us. Where did the tent go?

  "It's that way." She pointed over the moor. "Bron, I'm impressed. The camp isn't just hidden from humans, but also cloaked from other Stars." She noticed my questioning eyebrow raise. "Those that aren't invited," she continued to muse, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth. "You must have been very drawn to that tent."

  "Mm. Must have been." I found a gap in the wall and jumped up. "Are we going or what?"

  She sighed. "Yes, we’re going."

  I stumbled at first over the tufts of grass but soon I could guide my way over them without so much as a misplaced step. The closer I got, the more I could see. There wasn't just one tent, there were masses of them. All different rich colours, hues of reds, orange and earthy browns. When the Stars said ‘camp’ they didn’t mean camping. They meant glamping, heavy on the ‘glam’. The air was rich with smoke and exotic spice. I turned a puzzled glance back over the wall. Wasn't my house just down the road? Why did I feel like I was in a different country? North Africa, perhaps, somewhere exotic I could only dream of visiting.

  "Wow." I turned, my eyes greedy to take in more of the scene around me. People milled around, some gathered around fires, other's busy around the tents. All gorgeous and alluring—they were obviously Stars. I'd never felt so plain in my life. A few curious glances fell on me and I noticed a hushed whisper breeze around the camp. "It's her." Now I felt plain and painfully obvious.

  "What were you expecting?" Celeste tinkled a laugh and pulled at the rough bun on the top of her head, shaking her hair out around her shoulder. Out here, in the dark, under the light of the moon, it glimmered like the fine chain around my neck. She caught my look. "Have you got hair envy?"

  "Completely."

  "Ah, there she is." I recognised Connor's voice straight away, so didn't bother to turn around. "Managed to get away from Mummy?"

  I spun and glared at him. "Shut up, you ignorant pig. You don't know what I've been going through the last few months, nor how much my mum has suffered." To my horror, tears prickled my eyes. I hated crying when I was angry but unfortunately it was something I was rather good at.

  "Boohoo." Connor made to rub his eyes like a baby. "Did someone make you cry?"

  Ignore him, Celeste spoke directly into my mind, making me jump a little.

  "Why do you hate me so much? You never met me until today!"

  He laughed and the noise reverberated off the tents. "How do you know?" He folded his arms and scowled.

  "That's not an answer." I glared at him, not caring that a circle of Stars were forming around us.

  Connor's otherwise attractive face smeared itself into a sneer. "Because the fate of everyone hangs in the balance and I think your choice has swayed."

  "Swayed by who? I don't even know both sides of the story yet. All I know is that it's dark, birds are dropping out of the sky, and the dregs of society are thinking this is a free for all." I wanted to fight him, to get right into his face and tell him how much I disliked him.

  "And what about our society?" he said. I gasped a little. Was he on the side of darkness?

  "That's enough." The words cut through the air and a murmur rippled around the crowd. I turned to the voice and found a man walking through the crowd. He wore loose fitting clothes, pale trousers and a long embroidered tunic. His body language was commanding and powerful as he stalked through the crowd. As he got closer, I found he was younger than my initial impression had made me believe. His dark skin glowed in the lamplight. "Let's give the child some space," he said. His voice remained measured. When he turned towards me, a warm smile flashed white teeth at me in the darkness. A mutter ran through the crowd but they dispersed, although I noticed they didn't go far. "Welcome, Tara, although I believe you go by the name Bronte?"

  "Yes," I stuttered.

  "I'm Kesh, the leader of this rabble." He waved a hand at the grand tents.

  "Some rabble," I said in awe.

  Kesh was looking at Connor. "That will be all, thank you, Connor." He spoke with such delicacy that it made him sound like he was humming a long forgotten tune.

  Connor looked at me, his expression oddly torn. He hesitated before turning on his heel and marching off towards a sand coloured tent. Kesh placed a hand on my elbow and guided me around. Celeste left and I was alone. "Forgive him, Bronte, he takes such strain."

  "Because he wants the world to end and the humans to die?"

  Kesh tilted his head to the side. "Is that what he said?"

  "Well, no. Not exactly."

  Kesh gave a light shrug. "Not to worry about it now." He guided me towards a vibrant purple tent. "Come, let me show where you will be staying."

  "Staying? No, I'm sorry, I need to get home, my mum's going to worry."

  Kesh pondered this. "Would she be more worried if your life was in danger? Or she came home to find your blood spilt on the cream carpet of the lounge?"

  His words made a chill run along my spine. "No," I hesitated over his words. "Wait a minute. How do you know we have cream carpet in our lounge?"

  He chuckled and it reminded me of wind chimes in a sea breeze. "How about how I know why you had to get the new carpet three years ago?" I cringed as I remembered the cherry red nail polish and the splatter it made as I tripped, carrying it with the lid off.

  "Oh."

  He chuckled again and the sound warmed my heart. "Not that I'm a stalker."

  "I'm thinking you all have stalker qualities." My favourite stalker was missing, but I pushed the thought far to the back of my mind.

  "Not stalking," he laughed, "we like to call it protecting." He used an arm to hold back a heavy curtain blocking the entrance to the tent, and I followed the heady scent of spices. Inside, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was like a movie set with lush carpets and coloured cushions scattered around. In the middle was a bed covered in damask silk sheets. "I hope this is okay?"

  "You hope this is okay?" I asked. Bewilderment ran through me, making my head spin. "How is all this possible?" My eyes were wide as I took in the extravagant surroundings. In the corner was a mahogany desk with an ornate gas lamp. It flickered as it cast a subtle glow on the papers stacked on the shining surface.

  "Anything is possible, when you try."

  "What do you mean?" I turned and laid my gaze on Kesh, who was watching me with an openly interested gaze.

  Humming under his breath, he went to the table and poured tea the colour of Amber from a pewter teapot into tall delicate glasses. I was sure only moments ago there were papers on the desk, not the makings of a dignified afternoon tea. He watched me with a speculative air. "It's interesting, Bronte, that you can see through all our glamour’s, yet can't create them yourself."

  I bristled a little. "A few days ago I didn't even know what I was."

  He nodded sagely. "That's true, although I believe you've always seen us." Smiling, he handed me a tea. "I don't think you remember us passing through your life but I think you were always aware."

  I scoured through my memories, but I couldn't remember much of anything. All my childhood memories were jumbled and looked like they'd been washed in sepia.

  "What's a glamour?" I felt that if I didn't ask a question when I thought of it, it would get washed out into the swirling sea that was my brain, under a torrent of new information.

  I took a sip of the temperate sweet tea. It tasted of honey and orange blossom and warmed me from the inside out with a delicious mellow glow.

  "A glamour?" He mused to himself, before his dark eyes snapped onto me. "A glamour is anything you want it to be. Like Nick altering reality so it seemed like all your school friends were at a party in a mansion on the moor." He chuckled a little and I sensed Nick had impressed him with his abilities. I knew only two weeks had passed since that night but it seemed much longer.

  "So, Stars can make pe
ople believe anything?"

  "Sort of, we all have varying levels of skill; Nick's a master."

  I pulled a face. "But he couldn't fool me." I don't know why, but knowing I hadn't been suckered into believing anything gave me an odd sense of achievement.

  "That's when he knew you were definitely our girl."

  "Was there a doubt?" I found the fact I could not have been, made me get an uneasy tightness in my chest.

  Kesh sighed, a deep, exhaustive sound. I wondered how old he was? He looked young, maybe twenty, but there was an ancient echo around him that made me believe he was far older.

  I had so many questions to ask, I truly didn't know where to begin. Kesh laughed and the noise boomed around the tent. "All in good time, Bronte."

  I grimaced. "Can you read my mind, too?"

  He shook his head and smiled. "Not as well as some. I can read your face, which at the moment looks like it might explode with unanswered questions."

  I nodded. "I think I might."

  "Back to your original question, no, there was never a doubt, not for me, you were the girl we were waiting for. I think Nick hoped it wouldn't be you."

  "Why?" The question rocketed out of my mouth.

  Kesh spread his hands wide. "You would have to ask him."

  "That's if I ever see him again," I grumbled. The fact he had no interest in me arriving at camp stung a little.

  "Maybe, maybe not." Kesh shrugged, which wasn't the answer I wanted. "Things aren't always as straightforward as they seem, Bronte. Everyone here in this camp is here for your benefit. You should try to get to know everyone." He put a lot of emphasis on the word ‘everyone’.

  "How come the humans can't see this camp? Surely it's taking a lot of energy to conceal it."

  "Where is the camp, Bronte?"

  "On the moor? I just walked here?" I sounded confused.

  "Did you?"

  "Didn't I?"

  Kesh shrugged again and I walked to the edge of the tent and lifted back the flap at the opening. Outside it was dark, the sky ominous with no stars lighting its depths. We could have been on the moor. It would have been hard to tell, outside of the glow of fires from the camp, it was just dark and empty. But then, if I breathed in deep, wasn't the air a little warmer, a little drier? Wasn't there a taste in the air that tantalised at something foreign and unknown? I turned back into the tent, my mind whirling and spinning. "I want to know everything." I said.