Under the Burning Stars

by Carrigan Richards

  Both Jeremy and Peter gave Ava a confused look.

  “Are you kidding?” Peter asked. “How could you think it wasn’t the Cimmerians? You believe it was them who burned Thomas’s house.”

  “I never said that. And Aaron said it wasn’t an act of the Cimmerians because they’re all locked up.”

  Jeremy placed his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay, Ava?”

  “I’m fine,” she snapped and removed his hand. “I gotta go.” She walked past them down the emptying hallway. Why were they so quick to decide it was the Cimmerians? It was obvious the Ephemerals were raging war against them. Good for Trent Gattis for accomplishing what he did. They deserved to die.

  Ava pushed open a door and halted in the stairwell. What the hell was she thinking? Why was she defending the Cimmerians? Her brain felt like a muddled mess. She clenched her hands into fists and her pulse quickened. Water trickled down her arms and dripped onto the tiled floor. She bolted down the stairs.

  She was not turning into a Cimmerian. Those were not her thoughts or feelings. Ava opened the door to the next floor, and leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. The water stopped trickling and she calmed down.

  Everyone talked about the mall shooting the rest of the day. No one could figure it out, but chalked it up to Trent being so distraught by the bombing. Trauma made people do ungodly things. When Ava saw Peter at lunch, she made up how she was just trying to take what Aaron had said about the Cimmerians into account, because if there really were Cimmerians out there, they had to worry. He seemed to buy it, strangely enough.

  When Ava arrived at Peter’s later that afternoon, she parked in front of his house and got out. The sky threatened to rain and the early fall air was cool. As she walked to the door, she couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching her. She looked all around her but saw nothing.

  Peter answered the door with a smile. He reached for her hand, and jerked her to him. He pressed his lips to hers and her heart pounded against her ribcage. She kissed him harder and she felt his fingers graze her neck.

  He drew away. “You should probably come inside.” He tugged her inside and she followed him through the hall and upstairs to his room. He clicked on the light from the lamp and a soft yellow light flooded the room. He sat down on the edge of the bed.

  She smiled down at him, and rested her arms on his shoulders while his hands splayed on her hips. He pulled her onto the bed and then rolled on top of her. Peter brushed aside her hair and watched her.

  “What?”

  He shook his head. “I love you.”

  She smiled. “I love you.” Ava drew his face closer to hers and kissed him. His fingers tugged at the hem of her shirt, and then slid beneath it, gently caressing her stomach, causing her to shiver.

  His mouth was on hers, firmly. The kiss was frantic, almost as if he was using it as a distraction. But she could tell he was holding back. Something was on his mind.

  His hand landed in the curve of her hip perfectly and her pulse quickened. Their breathing labored and their kisses desperate, hands digging into each other’s skin. Ava slid her hands underneath his shirt and ran her fingers over his smooth chest. She knew she should stop before things got out of hand, but she didn’t want to. It was the perfect distraction.

  A soft knock at the door brought Ava back to reality.

  Peter sighed and then got off of her. She sat up and then he answered the door. It was his father.

  “Oh, hello Ava.” He smiled jubilantly, like always.

  “Hi, Mr. McNabb.”

  “Peter, I need you to unscrew the pipe in the kitchen again. I’m afraid my muscles just aren’t what they used to be.”

  “Sure. Be right back.” He told Ava.

  “How is your father, dear?”

  “He’s good.”

  “Have you found a place yet?”

  “Dad did, but we can’t move in until November.”

  “Oh, good gracious. Such a long wait.”

  “Yeah.”

  “All ready for you,” Peter said.

  “Thank you.” He waved at Ava and then Peter shut the door.

  “You haven’t told him, have you?” she asked.

  He shook his head and dropped down next to her on the edge of the bed. “I don’t even know how to bring it up. ‘Oh hi Dad. I’ve not been working out, I’m just incredibly strong because of my powers as an Enchanter.’”

  Ava rubbed his back. “I’m sorry. Maybe you could talk to my dad. He had to do the same.”

  “You think he would talk to me?”

  “Of course.”

  Peter nodded, but there was something else on his mind. Ava could feel his frustration and the distant look in his eyes all evening had gotten to her.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “It’s just all this stuff. This summer was bad enough, but now school is worse. Dad keeps asking me about my old friends. Why he hasn’t seen them and why Seth and I were suddenly friends again but not with the others. And then the other day at lunch.”

  “Lunch?”

  “What you said. About not wanting to get to know Valerie and Amanda. Did you really mean that?” He looked her in the eye, a pleading look.

  Her stomach clenched. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “I know they’ve been your friends for a long time and I’m not one to come in between, but under the circumstances.” She paused. Might as well tell him the whole truth. “Yes, I meant it. I don’t think it’s a good idea for Seth to start things with Amanda just yet.”

  “Why?”

  “Peter, they hate us. Along with all of the other Ephemerals in that godforsaken place.”

  “They just don’t understand what’s going on. If we tell them, then maybe they will.”

  “You can’t tell them what you are. Do you remember all the trouble I got in because I told you? What it did to our coven? I broke the coven and their trust. I caused a huge rift.”

  Peter sighed. “You just don’t want me to be friends with them.”

  Her temper flared. “Are you kidding me? You think I’m being the controlling girlfriend now?”

  He got to his feet quickly, ran his hands through his hair, and began pacing. “No. I’m just trying to find a balance. Seth is miserable. He didn’t want this. He only stayed so Savina wouldn’t erase his mind because he wanted to be with Amanda.”

  “Are you regretting your decision, too?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Don’t start that again. You know I’m not.”

  Ava stood and stopped his pacing. “Well, how am I supposed to know? You’ve been acting like it. Like you still want to be one of them.”

  “Them? Do you hear yourself, Ava? I used to be one of them. You’re starting to sound like you’re on their side.”

  “What? Whose side?”

  He shook his head.

  She swallowed hard, knowing exactly what he meant. Tears clouded her eyes. “You think I sound like a Cimmerian?” She was almost certain he didn’t mean it, but it hurt far worse that he knew.

  Peter gave her an apologetic look and grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”

  Ava snatched her hand away and brushed past him.

  “Don’t leave.”

  She could hear the irritation in his voice, but ignored him and opened the door. She didn’t want to be around him now. Especially after what he said.

  “Would you stop running away, Ava?” He followed her down the stairs and she jerked open the front door. The wind had picked up and a few droplets of rain fell on her. She was too angry and hurt to focus on making an invisible umbrella.

  “Ava!” he yelled and grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn around and look at him.

  “I can’t believe you said that, Peter. And for the record, go call your friends if you’re so desperate. But don’t expect me to be friends with them. They think I did something to you to make you be with me. Oh, and they believe we bombed the school. So if you want me to get to know
them, why don’t you set them straight?”

  “How do you know that? Did they say something?”

  The rain started to fall harder, hitting Ava in the face. “Of course. Do you think I made all of that up?”

  “It’s just weird to me, okay? They are never mean.”

  Her heart dropped. It almost felt like a slap in the face. Why couldn’t he stand up for Ava? Or trust her? “Of course not. They’re perfectly sweet and innocent.”

  “Will you please come back inside? I really don’t want to stand out in the rain arguing.”

  “I’m going home.”

  “Ava, please. I’m sorry I said all that.”

  “You’re obviously thinking it. You apparently don’t believe me about your friends. Just let me go. I might say something I’ll regret.” She opened her car door and slid in behind the wheel. The rain pummeled her car just as she shut the door.

  Ava drove away, leaving Peter standing in the rain at the end of his driveway.

  She couldn’t believe what he said. He knew she’d been having dreams and knew what Marcel envisioned. Was she really starting to sound like a Cimmerian? The thought constantly circled her mind so much it was starting to annoy her.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  BAD MOON RISING

  Ava angrily wiped the tears from her cheeks and ignored her constantly ringing phone. She knew everyone could feel her hurt and anger but she didn’t want to talk about it. The rain had stopped as she made her way back to the Manor.

  The gaslight came on and she groaned. She hated having to fill up. Gas stations always gave her the creeps.

  Ava pulled into the one that was actually the opposite way from the Manor, but it was the only one nearby. As she expected, it was deserted except for the bright fluorescent lights and the flashing open sign. She got out and rolled her eyes at the annoying song that played. It was a country song. She hated country music. The singer sang something about a red solo cup.

  Ava pumped the gas and leaned against her car, trying to drown out the stupid song. A black truck drove up and parked on the other side of the pump. She squared her shoulders. Two men got out of the truck and she stiffened. Jonah Sanders and Drew Foley. She couldn’t escape them.

  Jonah, the one with a military crew cut and hard facial features, began pumping gas and glared at her. His eyes were tired and his face was red. “Look who it is.”

  Drew walked around the truck, his face stuck looking at his phone, and then he looked up. His face turned to stone. “Hey, killer.”

  Ava’s pump clicked off, and she returned it to the base. She heard them speaking softly as she closed her gas door. She took a step toward the back of the car, but Drew stood in her way.

  Ava stared into his brown eyes. “What do you want?”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “What’s it look like I’m doing?

  “What did you do to Trent?”

  Ava crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I had nothing to do with that. Why don’t you stop blaming us and look at yourselves? You burned Thomas’s house. Trent killed a bunch of people. Just leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone.” She tried to go around him, but then Jonah stopped her. “What do you want?”

  Jonah seized her arm and glared at her. His blue eyes were full of hatred and viciousness. “Come take a walk with us.”

  Ava jerked her arm away. “Fat chance of that happening.” Something hard jabbed her in the side and she inhaled a sharp breath. It was the barrel of a gun.

  “I think you need to come with us.”

  “I think you need to let go of me.” She defiantly glared back at him. There was a flash of lightning in the distance and she flinched.

  Then, she saw her mother again. Destiny awaits you, Ava. Then, lightning struck her. A loud crack followed. The rain pummeled Ava as she cried for her mother. She tried removing the image from her mind, but it stayed with her. She struggled to get out of it.

  Finally, it was gone.

  She looked around and found herself in the middle of the woods. Jonah and Drew stood before her with a gun drawn right at her.

  How did she get there? Had they carried her? It felt as if she’d lost time. A very similar feeling from when Gabriel stopped time. She clenched her teeth and didn’t know if she could beat a bullet. Her heart raced, but she breathed in. And out. Her necklace warmed, and she’d left her phone in her car.

  “You don’t want to do this,” she said.

  Jonah walked closer to her. “It’s your fault she died.” He pushed her to the ground and she hit it with a harsh thud. “It’s your fault he killed those people and himself!” His hand shook as he kept the gun pointed at her.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Tears welled in Jonah’s eyes. He raised the gun and smashed it in her face. She blinked a couple of times and felt warm liquid drizzling down her chin and the awful iron taste filled her mouth.

  “You and all your psycho friends killed my sister. Because you can’t handle life or because you think you’re better than us. You bombed an entire school because of your selfishness. You make me sick.”

  “Jonah, we can’t shoot her.” Drew didn’t look all tough now. Maybe Ava could use that to her advantage.

  “No one will know. She deserves to die just like all her little friends. No one will care that she’s dead. We’re going to kill every single one of you for what you did.”

  “It wasn’t me,” she said. “It was Xavier.”

  “Shut up.” Jonah smashed the butt of the gun in her face again. “I know you made Trent kill those people. That Xavier guy isn’t around.”

  “I’m telling you the truth.”

  “Where’s the duct tape so she won’t scream?”

  “Right here.” Drew held up the roll of tape.

  There was no way Ava could play it safe and get out alive. They were going to kill her. It was written all over their faces and in their steely eyes. She was sick of the blame and the bullying. She hated them.

  Kill them. She heard a voice inside her head.

  “Don’t come near me again,” she demanded.

  Jonah laughed. “I’m so scared. What are you going to do?”

  Kill them. This is your destiny.

  Drew fidgeted. “Jonah, man, don’t entice her. Don’t forget what they did to us a while ago.”

  “I’m not afraid of some chick.” He turned to Ava; his face clouded with rage, and lowered the gun. “Hit me with your best shot.”

  Energy charged throughout her, itching to break free. She focused on Jonah, and only him. Her veins throbbed with power. She imagined him underwater, thrashing wildly, but unable to breathe. His eyes bulged and his nostrils flared. The veins in his neck enlarged and his face turned red. He opened his mouth and grabbed his neck. He gasped for air and then collapsed, dropping the gun and then writhed on the wet ground.

  “What are you doing to him?” Drew shouted.

  Ava didn’t answer, but concentrated solely on Jonah.

  A shot echoed in the night and Ava felt a hard punch in her stomach. The pain twisted inside her, as if someone’s fist drove into her stomach and stayed there. She fell back and clutched onto her stomach. The pain was intense and crawled all over her body. She could barely breathe.

  “Kill her.” She heard Jonah say through his coughing.

  Their voices seemed far away. She needed to get out of there before they shot her to death. One of them stepped closer and she immediately drew her hand out and shot water at him. He fell on his back and then she conjured up another image of them drowning together. She hoped she had enough strength.

  Ava heard them move around and cough and she tightly held onto the image. Their gargling and choking noises finally ceased and Ava let go.

  Clutching her bleeding stomach, she rolled her head to the side and met Jonah’s hate filled eyes, but he was unconscious. She had to get out of there before they woke up, but she couldn’t get to her feet, no matter how much she struggl
ed. The pain was too much.

  Ava wanted to call Peter. Drew or Jonah had to have a phone on them. She slowly crawled closer to Jonah and hoped she wouldn’t wake him up by digging in his jeans pocket. Tears clouded her vision as she blindly fumbled to find his phone. Her stomach burned with pain and her body shook with fear. Relief overcame her as she found his phone.

  She heard a shuffling in the woods coming closer and froze. Who was out there? Was it a Cimmerian?

  Ava clutched the phone close to her chest and held her breath. She lay as still as she could. Her necklace warmed against her skin, and she wondered if anyone would find her. She didn’t know where she was.

  The shuffling amplified at each twig that broke and each thud that came closer. She heard murmurs, and then giggling.

  “Omigod! Tyler!” Ava heard a girl scream.

  “Whoa. Stay back,” Tyler said. Ava heard his feet coming closer. “Oh no. It’s Jonah and Drew.”

  “Who’s the girl?”

  “I don’t know her name. That weird red-haired chick with the witch necklace.”

  “Are they…you know?”

  Ava braced herself for Tyler to check her pulse. She couldn’t make a move. She didn’t want to hurt them.

  Tyler cursed and then Ava felt his fingers against her neck. “Drew and Jonah are dead. The girl has a pulse, but it’s very faint.”

  The girl gasped. “Call 911.” Then she started crying.

  Dead? Ava had killed them? That was impossible. She had only made them pass out. She hadn’t killed them. There was no way.

  “Beth, calm down,” Tyler said. Beth was now in hysterics. “Come on. We’ll call back at the car.”

  Their footsteps became fainter until Ava couldn’t hear them anymore. She let out a breath and then slid the phone to unlock. Ava couldn’t stop the tears or her trembling.

  There was only one person she had to call. She shakily dialed the number and brought the cold phone to her ear.

  “Gillian,” she said through thick tears. “I need your help.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  AS I LAY DYING

  Ava lay under the burning stars, staring at their chaotic pattern, and feeling the brisk wind on her face. Her heartbeat slowed and her breaths became shallow. She didn’t want to move. She still wasn’t sure how she had gotten there. Maybe she was just in the woods behind the gas station. Lots of high schoolers used the woods for anything and everything.