Cursed Hearts (A Crossroads Novel)

by Light

  “Good luck with that,” Christian interrupted. “So anyways, I’ve been thinking. Why don’t we just plant a new yew tree?”

  “I don’t think that’s going to work. It’s not just about the type of tree; it’s about this tree specifically. The journal gives insight into the curses and the reasoning behind them, but it’s not going to tell us how to break them. Honestly, I think we’re on our own from here. Besides, that would be too easy.”

  “Too easy?” Christian breathed. “Are you kidding me? Too easy is exactly what we need right now. We’ve got an unknown amount of time until our own personal little poltergeist starts breathing down our necks again. And he’s after you right now, not me. We don’t have time for a challenge.”

  “Is that concern?” Rome asked.

  Christian bit at the inside of his cheek.

  “Too easy would be a trap. What we need is a breakthrough.”

  “What we need is a miracle,” Christian sighed. “Personally I think the three of us should blink to a tropical island and sip piña coladas in the sun until a tidal wave swallows us whole. If none of our family members ever figured this shit out, then we’ve got a snowball’s chance in hell of actually seeing this thing through.”

  Rome frowned, mulling over something he wasn’t sure he wanted to consider. “Do you think—does your father have any siblings?” he asked.

  Ariahna shook her head. “You don’t think my father was in love with your mother…?” she said, her voice betraying her disbelief.

  “Oh no, hell no,” Christian proclaimed, pacing back and forth and shaking his head. “There’s no way. There is no way I slept with my sister. No, no. That—just, no.”

  Rome growled softly. Christian was jumping to conclusions in huge leaps and bounds. “No. It can’t work like that… right?”

  “There’s one way to find out,” he said, stopping in his tracks. “Come on.” Christian snatched Ariahna’s hands and pulled her to her feet, nearly dragging her through the grass. “Congratulations, today you’re getting bitten by a vampire.”

  “What?” Aria breathed, turning scared eyes to Rome.

  “I hate to say it, but…”

  Aria sighed, letting them drag her all the way back to the building and up to the third floor. She protested the entire way. And before she knew it, they were staring at Kaleb’s door. “This is a horrible idea,” she murmured. Christian knocked before she could utter another word, frantically explaining to Kaleb what they needed him to do as soon as he opened the door. He looked stunned.

  “…You want me to what?” Kaleb sighed, flicking his annoyed glare over to Ariahna. “I’m not biting her. And if you keep coming to me for things like this, I’m going to start charging.”

  “Why the hell not?” Christian demanded.

  “I admit, I’m a little curious myself,” Rome said. “Are you seriously turning down a chance at a free meal?”

  “See? He won’t do it,” Aria said in a shaking voice. “There’s no way that we’re actually siblings, anyways.”

  “She’s right about that,” Kaleb muttered. “I don’t need to bite her to tell you she’s not a werewolf. Problem solved. Go away.”

  The door was swinging swiftly towards them when Rome caught it with his palm, shoving it open again. “My mother was the werewolf. Our mother,” he corrected, shooting a guilty look Christian’s way. “We think… that maybe she was with Aria’s father at some point. It would make sense. We don’t have any clue who our dad is, and if they were together…”

  “Wait,” Christian said, squinting at Kaleb. “What do you mean she isn’t a werewolf?” He turned that same confused, curious gaze to her and she glanced quickly away. “Rome, I thought…”

  Rome sighed. “Don’t worry about that right now.”

  Ariahna backed slowly away from the door, backpedalling down the hall. She didn’t want Kaleb to bite her, for more than one reason. If he could tell relation just by blood, if he could classify a werewolf by it, what else could he tell? Would he be able to identify her for what she was? And what would he do about it? What would Rome and Christian do about it?

  It wasn’t just herself she’d be putting at risk if they found out. Her father had a secret of his own. One he wasn’t aware she’d inherited. If they were found out, he’d lose his job. He could go to jail. And that was the minimum penalty they could expect to face. They might be killed, or exiled to Lumara. Her hands shook as the possibilities swirled through her mind.

  “Aria,” Rome said, reaching out to stop her. “Are you okay?”

  “We can find out another way,” she replied. “Records.”

  “Aren’t things like that kind of hard to get?” he asked.

  “The Dean keeps extensive files on all of the gifted students,” she explained. “The Collective forwards everything from transcripts to medical records to detailed histories. I’m almost certain a copy of your birth certificates would be in there too.”

  “Well mine’s going to be false. It says that Henry’s my birth father, and now I know that isn’t true.”

  “I don’t want to see mine,” Christian added. “I don’t care who the guy was that made me, as long as he’s not your scary ass father.”

  “Okay,” she sighed. “I’ll only get yours then, and I won’t show it to you. We’ll just confirm it doesn’t say Richard VayRenn.”

  “And how do you plan to get it?” Christian said. “Are you just going to walk up to the Dean and ask to look at some confidential student files? Because somehow I doubt that’s going to go over very well. I haven’t even been allowed to see my own birth certificate.”

  “…Let me worry about that,” she said, smiling weakly.

  “Great. Now that that’s all settled you three can mosey away from my door and leave me alone,” Kaleb said. “Have fun with your family drama.”

  Rome was about to say something when Kaleb slammed the door in his face, not giving him the chance. “Okay… I’ll talk to you later,” he frowned. He was becoming a bit worried about him.

  “For now, we should all get to class,” Ariahna said. They parted ways and she spent the rest of the morning pondering over just how she was going to get her hands on that file. She seriously doubted her father’s name was on that document, but it was important that they find out either way. Some part of her wanted to tell Christian whose name was on it, even though he’d said he didn’t want to know.

  The first few classes of the day went by without incident. Transmutation was her last core class, and then she got to head on to her electives, which started today. She only had to wait through fourth period, and then lunch, and she’d be on her way out to the greenhouses. The thought had her smiling as she took a seat near the front of the class. Transmutation was one of her favorite courses, second only to Alchemy. She was taking a few advanced courses this year, Alchemy and Elements included, but was fortunate enough to have been placed with the seniors for Transmutation. It was one of the highest level courses on the subject the school offered, and unlike last year, it was actually proving to be a challenge for her. Shawn sat down beside her as the teacher began writing the day’s assignment on the board; and as she turned to look at him, it was like a light bulb had been flipped on in her brain.

  “Shawn,” she said with a smile. “You’re an RA.”

  “…Yes” he said guardedly.

  “Doesn’t that give you access to most of the school?”

  Shawn could already sense where this was going.

  “I was just curious,” she said quickly. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, applying as an RA. Maybe I could shadow you for a bit and get an idea of the responsibilities involved?”

  “Um,” Shawn stammered. “Yeah, sure… that would be—”

  “Great!” Ariahna beamed. “I’ll meet you at lunch.”

  “…We have lunch right after class,” Shawn said. “Do you have to do something first, or…? We could just go from here?”

  “Right,”
she said, laughing nervously under her breath. “I just meant… I have to put my books in my locker first. You can follow me?”

  “I could carry them for you?” he smiled.

  The teacher quieted them and class continued as normal. Today they were turning each other into chairs. Shawn volunteered to be her partner for the assignment, and she turned him into a cushy leather wing-back, complete with intricate mahogany legs. The teacher was thoroughly impressed as most students were producing rocking chairs and what passed more for simple stools. The bell rang and the teacher made sure that everyone was on two legs instead of four before dismissing them. Shawn swooped up her books so fast all she could do was smile, and they stepped out into the hall together.

  Quiet whispers followed at their backs.

  “…You don’t have to carry those for me,” she said.

  “It’s no big deal,” Shawn replied, completely oblivious to the looks people were shooting the two of them. They stopped at her locker briefly so that she could store her books before continuing on their way.

  Shawn guided her around the grounds and through the different sections of the school, explaining the duties the Dean asked all RA’s to complete. Ariahna seemed somewhat distracted the entire time. But she was a strategic conversationalist and kept him guessing with enough questions and comments to see them all the way to the fourth floor. Shawn hadn’t had this much fun in a long time, and they were just walking around, talking aimlessly. He stopped near the small stairwell leading to the roof, turning to smile back at her.

  “There’s no need for you to take me up there,” she said. “I think I understand by now that no one’s supposed to be on the roof.”

  “I knew you were a quick study,” he smirked. “Okay, well then I think that’s about it. The tour, so to speak, is over. Other than that, you mostly know what my job is. I have to handle issues in the dorms, student disputes, and in general deal with people who dislike me. Sounds like fun, right?”

  She smiled, staring out across the teacher’s lounge. “Not everyone dislikes you. And things would be pretty awful if you weren’t here to do what you do. If our peers can’t understand that, then they’re just shortsighted. They wouldn’t appreciate what you do for us until no one was there to do it anymore. You’re there for people when they really need you. That’s an incredible thing.”

  “Alright, what are you trying to butter me up for?” he asked. “I’m not dense. People attempt to bribe me all the time. Though usually, they bring money instead of trying to earn my trust.”

  Aria looked back at him worriedly, but Shawn was smiling.

  “I really am interested in becoming an RA,” she said.

  “You’re being cagey.”

  “It’s just… you have keys to everywhere in the school, right? Even—even the Dean’s office?”

  “I do, but only in case of emergencies. Why?”

  Ariahna didn’t feel like she could tell him. What if he said no? What if he went and told the Dean? She scrambled to come up with an excuse, something he might believe. “I just want to see the inside of his office. I think it would be exciting. Wouldn’t it be fun to slip in while he was gone?” she whispered, smiling up at him mischievously. “Haven’t you ever just wanted to do something dangerous?”

  Shawn tried to keep his features neutral as his eyes darted around the nearly empty room. “I can’t believe I’m considering this,” he breathed. What she was saying sounded more than a little suggestive. I just won’t let it go too far, he thought. Getting caught having sex on the Dean’s desk wasn’t exactly something he wanted to add to his résumé.

  He fished out his keys and hurried them into the room, saying the incantation to deactivate the magical alarm the Dean had put in place. Ariahna was walking to the far side of the office, and he followed quickly after her. “We have a little while,” he said. “The Dean takes lunch in his apartment.”

  “Good,” she replied, approaching several large filing cabinets crammed together in the corner. She twisted two fingers in front of the small lock on one of the drawers, opening it gently.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Something dangerous,” she answered.

  Shawn was quickly starting to realize she had no intention of making out with him. “You didn’t say you wanted to go through confidential school files. That was kind of an important fact for you to leave out,” he whispered. She didn’t answer him as she skimmed through the names, apparently looking for something specific. He grabbed her gently, pulling her away from the cabinets. “What are you really after?”

  “The truth,” she said evasively. “Look, I just want to confirm something. I’m not going to alter the files in any way – no one’s going to get hurt. I’m just asking you to trust that what I’m doing, I’m doing for a good reason.”

  “Trust is something you earn. We barely know each other, and in the short time that we have, you’ve tried to deceive me.”

  “I—I’m sorry.”

  “Tell me what you’re doing,” he demanded.

  “I don’t have time right now. But I promise to tell you later. Please, Shawn,” she begged.

  Shawn was not a sucker for a pretty face. But apparently, he was a sucker for Aria. “Damn it,” he sighed. “You owe me.”

  “So much,” she grinned, pressing her palms together and stepping away from him with a smile. “Thank you.” Ariahna continued thumbing through the files, closing the drawer and opening the next one down. It was by drawer number three that she finally reached the R’s. Christian’s file was a slim, unassuming folder. It was nothing compared to the monstrosity located between the M’s and the O’s.

  “Oh god,” she whispered, pulling the folder out to get a look at the name. “This is Rome’s.” It had to be at least three times as thick as everyone else’s. She could barely lift it out of the drawer. Shawn made a disbelieving sound at her back.

  “Is that what you’re doing? Background checks on your boyfriends?” he asked, shaking his head when he saw Christian’s name on the other file. “I can’t believe I’m helping you do this.”

  “That’s not what I’m doing,” she said firmly.

  The sound of the key turning in the door interrupted their discussion. Ariahna snatched the files off the floor and grabbed Shawn’s hand, effectively surprising him. She clenched her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, they were still standing in the Dean’s office.

  “It didn’t work,” she breathed. “I can’t blink.”

  “He has a charm on his office,” Shawn whispered. He pushed her around the large, ornate desk, herding her under the table and scooting the chair in just as the Dean stepped through the door.

  “Mr. Ericson,” he said in surprise. “May I help you?”

  “I had something I wanted to talk to you about,” he said, thinking quickly. He stepped towards the Dean, stopping him before he could approach his desk. “I let myself in, I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not,” he smiled. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “It’s more of a concern I had, really. You know, it would be better if I showed you. Would you follow me for a moment?”

  Ariahna waited until she heard the door clicking quietly shut. As soon as she was certain they were gone, she crawled out from underneath the Dean’s desk, peeking into the lounge. Shawn already had him halfway up the stairs to the roof. There was no one else in sight. Aria slipped out, clutching the fluttering papers under her arm as she ran all the way back to her dorm.

  Two identical files sat open on her desk. The first had all the usual things you’d expect: grades, remarks from teachers, a few instances of delinquent behavior. The second was a veritable cornucopia of disaster and disorderly conduct. It read a little like a crime novel, with each page more shocking and gritty than the last. A knock at her door pulled her away from the neat font. “Shawn,” she greeted, offering him a reserved smile. “How did you know where to find me?”

  “I have a student
directory,” he said, pushing into her room. She closed the door as he turned to face her. “I covered for you. I don’t know why, but I did. And now you’re going to tell me what you wanted with those, why you had me help you steal private documents on two other students.”

  “I had their permission… if that matters.”

  “It helps.”

  Ariahna sighed. “I’m not sure how to explain without telling you something I’m not sure I should…”

  “You can either tell me what’s going on, or I’m going to the Dean and turning us both in. I shouldn’t have done it in the first place, whether I was coerced or not.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Christian just wanted me to find out about his parents for him.” She pressed her lips together as Shawn’s frown turned into an unpleasant scowl. “He’s an orphan,” she explained, “and no one’s ever let him look at his birth certificate before. We have a little theory going and we just wanted to know if we were right.”

  “And what does Rome have to do with it?”

  “…That’s part of our theory,” she mumbled. “Why don’t we just look at the birth certificates? We’ll know in a second.”

  Shawn’s desire to find out was stronger than his aggravation at this moment. “Okay,” he said slowly. “At least if I’m risking getting in trouble, I might as well help solve the mystery.”

  They walked back over to her desk together, and Aria made herself stop leafing through Rome’s colorful, extensive file. She located the copies of both birth certificates, and set them side by side on top of the stacks, scanning down the pages for the listed parents. Unsurprisingly, Donna Navarro was featured on both. Just as Rome had predicted, Henry was recorded as his father. And Christian’s father was…

  “Joseph Grant,” she said, scribbling the name down on a piece of paper.

  Shawn frowned at her curiously.

  “That’s your ‘aha’? I would have thought the fact that they shared the same mother was what you were looking for,” he said.