The Traitor's Crux (The Dark Powers Book 1)

by Jessica Prather

  I turn towards the door, a plateful of cookies in my hand, reminding myself that I’m not here to make friends.

  13 AN HOUR LATER, I ROAM downtown, frowning at the map in my hands as a bright red arrow tells me to take a left.

  I follow its directions until, in bright flashing letters, the map reads YOU’VE ARRIVED. I tilt my head back, squinting against the beaming sun at an old red and orange bricked building about three stories tall. Inside, its halls are quiet and still, darkened by the lack of windows. A directory floats in mid-air, names in bold letters and arrows pointing at which direction to go.

  Finding the leaders names, I’m pointed to the right. Sure enough, I come to a door with HARLOW CRESTON AND BRYCE COUGHLIN, CAMP LEADERS on a gold plaque.

  The offices are as quiet as the hallway. I’m the only person besides the receptionist, who talks animatedly to a floating image that sits in the air. Curiously, I can’t hear it making any noise. Is that a phone? I wait impatiently, leaning my elbows on her desk as I look around the room. Windows face outward, the first I’ve seen in the building, and I can see the tall aspen trees outside as a few groups of people occasionally stroll by, enjoying the afternoon sun.

  The secretary still ignores me for her floating head conversation. Growing impatient, I rotate so I’m straight in her point of view. “Excuse me, ma’am. I’m looking for Bryce.”

  She glowers at me and rolls her eyes to whoever she’s talking to. “Give me a second, there’s a person who clearly can’t wait.”

  She extends her palm, using her fingers in a pinching motion, freezing the screen of the photo. I smile politely, ignoring the dirty look I receive in exchange.

  “What do you want?” She asks coldly.

  “Is Bryce here? I need to talk to him,” I repeat, trying to make my voice pleasant.

  “Mr. Coughlin isn’t here right now,” she responds matter-of-factly.

  “Will he be back soon?” I ask. “The door thing said he’s supposed to be here right now. His hours are nine to four, right?”

  She huffs, her gaze unflinching from mine, “I said he isn’t here, didn’t I? He had to step out for some emergency. I didn’t get any more information. I’m not his babysitter, believe it or not. Miss Creston is here, would you like to speak to her instead?”

  “Uh, well—”

  If I wanted to leave, I’m too late. Harlow emerges from one of the rooms, dressed in black pants and a lacy top that looks much too delicate considering Harlow’s personality. “Alright, Julie, I’m leaving,” she says, her back turned to us as she locks her door.

  The receptionist, Julie, betrays me. “Do you know when Bryce will be back? This new girl insists on speaking with him.” She pops her gum, attention back on the computer screen.

  Harlow turns towards me, a mocking pout on her lips. “Aww, Bryce actually let go of your hand? Whatever will you do?”

  I blush, shaking my head as I turn towards the door. “I’ll just come back later.”

  Harlow’s voice stops me, “He had an emergency. No one knows when he’ll be back. Unfortunately, it’s my job to help you and be accommodating in these kinds of scenarios. What do you need?”

  I face her again, sighing. “He mentioned a training schedule. I was only following up.”

  She clicks her tongue. “Luckily for you, you’re talking to the person in charge of training. Meet me tomorrow at the gym, six A.M. sharp. Don’t be late."

  I nod slowly, turning to leave when the anger churns in my stomach. I spin to face her, the words spilling out before I can stop them, “What’s your problem? I did absolutely nothing to you! I just wanted to find the camp.”

  The blonde chuckles quietly, arms crossed over her chest as she takes a few steps forward. Her glare is so full of hatred, part of me wishes I could crawl under the covers and hide. “Do you think I was born yesterday? People don’t just show up like that unless they’re up to something. We work hard to keep this camp a secret. Want to know why?” I say nothing as she comes towards me, as dangerous as a predator. “Reed and his soldiers try to get into this camp. They want all of us dead. The last time they nearly succeeded, so forgive me if I see past your little sweet-girl act. Why don’t you tell me what you’re up to? Hmm?”

  “I want to talk with Bryce,” I restate, trying to stop the shakiness from taking over my voice. I can’t let her know how afraid I really am.

  She sneers, “Of course, you do. Just keep your head down, new girl. Keep on kissing Bryce’s ass. He may think that you’re innocent, but I don’t. I’ve had my share of snitches before and I know people like you. If you hurt anyone, I swear to God, I will ruin you.”

  “I’m not,” I spit, lying through my teeth. “Looks like you have nothing to worry about.”

  She knows. She’s onto me.

  She hits me on the shoulder as she leaves, not bothering to say another word to me. The door slams behind her, no more words left to say.

  Julie and I look on in awkward silence, unsure of where to go from here. She unmutes the phone as if suddenly remembering the conversation she held before I so rudely interrupted.

  I see myself out, trying to calm the panic that threatens to spill over.

  14 “MORE BOOKS ALREADY? DIDN’T you bleed them dry yesterday?”

  When Bryce finds me a few hours later, I’m in the library, searching through the massive number of ancient books, taking comfort in the familiar mildew scent of paper that’s served a long life.

  “Ha. Ha,” I say pointedly, biting down on my lip to keep the smile at bay. I turn my attention back to the books. I can’t do this. I can’t like a person I’m going to betray.

  “But really. What are you doing? You may be magic, but there’s no way you could have read all those grimoires already!” He leans against the shelf with his shoulder, watching me with those vivid green eyes. He’s so close, only inches away. I catch his scent of coffee and aftershave and swallow.

  “I want to be prepared. I start training tomorrow.”

  What I don’t say is that I don’t want to give Harlow any leverage by not being able to perform to her liking.

  “Oh, yeah, Harlow said you came by the office. Sorry I wasn’t there, I had an unexpected emergency. A kid’s powers went awry by accident and, long story short, I had to disconnect his hand from his forehead.”

  “What? No! That’s horrible,” I gasp, forgetting that I’m not supposed to be looking at Bryce as he suppresses a laugh. I shove him teasingly in the shoulder, “Don’t laugh. That sounds like something that would happen to me.”

  “Then you’re lucky you live in a place filled with magic—we can always fix it. Well, ninety-five percent of the time at least…”

  “Just ninety-five? That’s comforting.” I snicker, “Dare I ask about the other five percent?”

  He laughs, waving a hand as if it’s nothing, “Well, they’re screwed, to put it kindly. Anyway, Harlow made you a schedule for the rest of the month.” He pulls some papers from his pocket and offers them to me.

  “Thanks.” I unfold them, pressing out the crease with my fingers and looking over the training schedule. “Wow, every single day? Harlow doesn’t mess around.”

  “But she’s the best trainer you’ll ever have.” He studies me for a moment, then says, “If you don’t mind me asking… what happened between you two? Harlow was all pissy like she’d been in a fight, and I like her, I do, but I know how she can be. Did she say something to you?”

  “Um, I mean, she answered some of my questions for me.” I don’t look him in the eyes, Harlow’s blunt words replaying in my head. She knows and she’s going to kill me the moment she realizes the truth. I lied to her face and she knows it.

  “Just tell me what she said. Trust me, it happens a lot. She isn’t one to filter her words. It always seems to cause hurt feelings. How did she offend you?” His tone rings with exasperation, clearly used to Harlow’s method of dealing with people.

  “Just that she doesn’t trust me and she�
��ll ruin me if I quote unquote try anything.”

  Bryce sighs, shaking his head. “She certainly doesn’t beat around the bush, I’ll give her that. I’m so sorry she did that. I promise I’ll talk with her about it. She’ll get used to you soon enough and leave you alone. She’s just nervous about something that’s been going on lately.”

  “What do you mean?” I pry.

  His eyes meet mine, the thin streaks of sunlight making one eye appear the color of celery. “I’m really not supposed to tell you. It’s a confidential subject. You really shouldn’t worry about it, anyways. We’re prepared to handle it.”

  I bite at my lip, hearing the news that I dreaded most. What do I say when I’m the danger, the thief lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike? “Well, surely, if we’re in danger, there’s something we could do, right?”

  What kind of danger, exactly, is he talking about?

  He does his best to smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “No, don’t you worry about a thing. You’re safe. I shouldn’t have even brought it up.”

  I nod, unsure of what else to say. I’m going to have to report this to the president when he calls.

  “On a happier note, the bonfire is tonight. You are still coming, right? It would be good for you to get out and meet everyone. This is the one event that people actually show up to,” Bryce says, his tone getting brighter at the subject change. His smile makes my heart skip a beat.

  “Yeah, I’ll probably stop by for a bit.” I really don’t want to go, but it would be good. I can work on earning people’s trust and seeing how the camp works.

  He throws a crooked grin my way. “Yes! I’m glad. You might even get to hear me ruin a song with my terrible guitar playing.”

  “It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of.”

  He checks his watch. “Well, I have another meeting that I’m late for, so Harlow might murder me, but if not, I’ll see you tonight?”

  As he walks off, my hopes die. I can never have him. After all, I’m the one seeing to his destruction. Harlow’s spot on about me. Part of me wishes that he could see it too, that I wouldn’t have to live in a world filled with lies. Reed’s note from the forest replays in my brain. Survival of the fittest.

  They need to learn that too, before it’s too late.

  ***

  I CAN HEAR TESS AND Delia bickering on my front porch before I even open the door.

  “If you freeze tonight, it’s your fault,” says Delia, gesturing towards Tess’ sandaled feet.

  “Delia, it’s August!”

  I pull the door closed behind me as Delia scoffs, “Practically September. The fall weather is coming. You know, you do this every time, T!” she mimics her with a melodramatically high-pitched voice, “I’m from Minnesota! I don’t get cold like you do! Then, it gets dark and you realize there’s no hot sun on you anymore, then the whining begins! Kenadee, would you tell her, please?”

  They both turn on me as I throw my hands in the air. “I’m only here for the bonfire.”

  “Whatever. What do I care? It’s not like I’m your mom,” Delia exclaims. Tess sticks out her tongue as Delia holds out the transportation device. “Now, let’s go! It’s already started.”

  We land somewhere on the edge of town. The darkness is setting around us, the sun sneaking lower and lower beneath the mountains. The air is crisp and thin; the fresh smell of the forest reminds me of home.

  People are everywhere, voices drunk with excitement. Tess asks me question that I don’t hear because I’m scanning the crowd for familiar faces. “Sorry… what?”

  “Where’s your head tonight? Definitely not here,” Delia asks, watching me with concern, “You okay?”

  “Yeah, fine,” I say quickly, “It’s just a lot take in.”

  “You sure?” Tess watches me carefully, as if she can see right through me. I nod briefly, avoiding her eyes. I can tell she doesn’t believe me, but she lets it drop.

  “You know what I think?” she asks, shivering as she walks, “I think you need to let loose a little. Have some fun. We’ll introduce you around!”

  “Yeah, but you gotta come out of your shell. C’mon now!” Delia trots forward, grabbing my hand and dragging me ahead of Tess. I can’t help but laugh, even as they practically rip my arm from its socket. We top the hill and I can see the orange flicker of fire licking at the darkening sky. Giant benches center around the bonfire area, where lots of people mill about. As we near, my ears tune into the calm strumming of an acoustic guitar and a sweet, low voice crooning away.

  “Oh, yeah, should’ve warned ya. There’s always music. You’ll get used to it. It’s like a freakin’ concert all the time. Especially with Bryce.”

  “That’s Bryce?” I ask, surprised, listening as he plays some Elvis song. My dad used to listen to Elvis, rocking one of us on his hip as he’d dance while making dinner. I close my eyes at the sweet memory.

  “Yeah, Bryce is always singing something. You’ll be able to detect him from a mile away. After a few days, you’ll be sick of it!” Tess and Delia exchange a look with raised brows.

  As we head closer, I can begin to make him out. He’s hunched over a guitar surrounded by a group of people as he strums animatedly. He looks happy and carefree, lost in the music.

  We find spots closest to the fire, right across from Bryce. Nearby, I spot Kenzie, the girl from the mess hall. She’s immersed in conversation, joking and giggling in a sea of girls, clearly the center of entertainment. Harlow sits on the other end a few feet away, appearing lost in thought as she stares expressionlessly into the fire.

  I hear my name and look up just as Kenzie and the group of girls burst into fits of laughter. I blush, digging my tip of my shoe into the dirt.

  “Knock it off, Kenz,” Tess says, her voice surprisingly vicious. The girl only scoffs back, clearly not used to being stood up to. She stands up and leaves, her group of admirers trailing behind her like a flock of ducks.

  “Ignore them,” Delia says, turning towards me and blocking Kenzie from sight, “They’re jealous. Kenz can be a real bitch when she wants to. It’s really just a show to try to get Har’s attention. Kenzie’s always kissing her ass because she’s a leader. I can tell it drives Harlow crazy.”

  “I’m used to mean girls,” I say, brushing it off. I’ve had my fair share at school since my brother and father were found as guilty criminals.

  “That doesn’t make it okay. I promise they’ll get better. Give them time.” Tess smiles kindly, but I don’t believe her. Something tells me Kenzie won’t be changing any time soon.

  “So, how do you like camp so far?” Delia leans in closer, trying to talk over the noise of the guitar and the crowd. The breeze picks up, making the leaves around us rustle in the now -dark skies.

  “It’s been great so far. Most everyone has been nice. I start training tomorrow.”

  Tess groans, “I remember those training days. Not fun.”

  “You get to work with Har, right?” Delia asks, pulling the edge of her blanket to her shoulders.

  I nod. “Unforunately. Which means you might find me dead somewhere.”

  “Yikes. I remember training with her. They were some of the most intense times of my life,” Tess says loudly, then looks across the fire. Fortunately, Harlow doesn’t seem to have heard. “I used to hate going to class with her because she’s so tough. But, she’s the best magic teacher we have here. Everyone that’s ever trained with her can prove it.”

  “I don’t know… She really hates me, you guys.”

  “Oh please, she doesn’t hate you,” snorts Delia, “You’ve got to take her with a grain of salt. She takes a long time to warm up to people. She was locked up for years with Reed. Got arrested twice. She won’t ever talk about it, but everyone knows that he did something awful to her.”

  I consider asking more, but the music stops and Bryce’s eyes land on me. My heart skips a beat. He waves happily as Delia and Tess begin whispering about something else. Bryce stands and s
ets down the guitar, saying something to Harlow who tears her distant gaze away from the fire for the first time since we arrived. She watches him disappear into the shadows, then must feel me looking. Blue eyes lock on mine, and for the first time, they’re not hate-filled and cold. They’re… haunted, confused, like she’s been somewhere else entirely.

  There’s a popping, the crash of fireworks, and she jumps, looking towards the source of the noise.

  “Ooh, look!” Tess jumps up from her seat, distracting me as she points to the air. “The fireworks show! This is the coolest part. No one can see or hear it from outside the camp. Isn’t that awesome? I hope they have the singing ones this year! Have you ever heard of those, Kenadee? No, never mind—I guess you wouldn’t. Wait until they come! You’ll love them!” She hurries forward, shoving herself through the crowd trying to get a better view.

  The fireworks burst vividly straight into the sky, framed by a backdrop of speckled bright white stars. Delia groans, “I better go find her. I swear, Tess is the biggest child I’ve ever met at times. She probably shouldn’t be left alone. You wanna come with?”

  I shake my head no, feeling content in front of the warm fire. “Nah, I think I’ll stay. Catch up with you later?”

  “Yeah, of course! We’ll come find you after. Tess and I are having a good ole fashioned sleepover tonight, if you want to join us!” She winks before disappearing into the large mass of bodies.

  Most everyone has rotated that way now, clearing out the ring of fire. I sit by myself for a moment, grateful for the second of silence to myself. This might be the perfect opportunity to take some notes for Reed.

  I pull out the notepad I shoved in my pocket before I came to the bonfire. It’s a faded navy color and so small that I’m forced to write in tiny letters. I glance around. No one’s watching, which makes the timing perfect.

  I jot down notes of what Bryce mentioned before, about danger in the camps. I don’t know that Reed will be that interested, but it’s a topic at least to cover. I also write down everyone’s name so far that I’ve met.