Silver

by Talia Vance

  There’s a flash behind me. Before I can turn around, Blake’s arms close around my chest, pinning my arms to my side, the blade pointed at my heart.

  “I told you,” he says. “No hesitation.”

  I stare at the knife, the tip pressed close enough to my chest that a thin line of blood trickles down my skin. I let my veins fill with water, drawing on the ocean waves and freezing from the inside, until Blake is forced to step away from the icy cold along my skin.

  He laughs as he watches me shiver. “Nice.” Then he disappears again, but it’s only a second before he reappears in the same spot. Not Blake the warrior god, Blake the boy whose face I’ve memorized.

  I collapse into the sand, still shivering even though the power I just used is no longer anywhere near the surface.

  Blake looks back at the cliff wall. “I don’t think they can cross over to our world.” He ignores the fact that I posed at least as much threat to him as the giant dogs. “We can’t go back there.”

  “No kidding.” I’m more than happy to limit our conversation to the monsters on the other side of the cliff. It’s far easier to deal with that than with the monster lurking in my heart. “What were those things?”

  “I’m not one hundred percent certain. I’m pretty sure they’re Arawn’s hounds.”

  “In English?”

  “The guardians of the gates to the underworld.”

  “Tell me you mean that metaphorically.”

  Blake sits next to me in the sand. His arms come around me, bringing a welcome warmth. “According to ancient mythology, Avernus is a gateway. Legend is that the dead passed through Avernus by crossing a river, and there’s definitely one of those there. The dogs are meant to keep the dead from crossing back to the living.”

  “So that place is the gateway to hell?”

  “Not just hell. All the mystical worlds.”

  “If it is what you say.”

  “It is.”

  “Then what does that make Austin?”

  Blake laughs. Not the reaction I expect. He stops when he sees my face. “You’re not joking? I thought you realized this before.”

  “Realized what?”

  “Where did you think the gods came from?” Blake sets his hands on my shoulders and waits. Even with the heat that flows through his hands, the temperature seems to drop ten degrees.

  It shouldn’t be a surprise. I’m the descendant of a crazy goddess, after all. I’m a mercenary in a vengeful army. Beautiful poison.

  “You’ve been there before,” I say. “To the Underworld.”

  “I’ve never been down to the water, just along the rocks. I’ve never seen anything there before tonight. Just rocks and water and that icy wind. Not a living thing.”

  “But we’re not dead.”

  “Not yet, anyway.”

  I can’t look him in the eye. We both know how close I came to losing it. What he doesn’t know is that it’s happened before. Eventually, I won’t be able to stop it. My emotions will win. Fire will beat out cold logic every time.

  “Don’t worry about it, okay?” he says.

  “I could have killed you.”

  “You didn’t. And you broke the most important rule—you have to strike before we realize an attack is coming.”

  “Show off.” I push his shoulder.

  “I liked that thing with the cold. Can you make it happen faster?”

  “I don’t know.”

  He moves his hand up and down my side, from my waist to my hip, chasing the last lingering chills from my body. “We should go,” he says, but he’s already pulling me to him as we lie back on the sand. I turn to face him, letting my hands run across his chest as I lean down to kiss him.

  “Now, where were we?” I ask.

  He laughs a little as I kiss his throat. When I lick the lobe of his ear, he shivers. My fingers twist through his hair and I kiss him, deep and slow. His hand brushes along my neck to my collarbone, sending little shocks of lightning along the path of his fingers. His fingers swoop to the hollow of my throat and along my shoulder, sliding down my arm. Then he freezes.

  The fire inside him is gone in a heartbeat, replaced with a chill I can feel in my bones. My eyes blink open. His eyes hold only fear, icy and sharp.

  “What? The dogs?”

  He moves his hand along my wrist. “Brianna.” His voice is barely a whisper. “Where’s your bracelet?”

  TWENTY-NINE

  I pace in a circle. “We have to go back in!”

  Blake’s hands are both in his hair now. “We’re no match for those hellhounds. They won’t let us out a second time.”

  “What difference does it make? I’m not going to make it to my birthday without that bracelet.” My frustration and Blake’s combine, which only makes me pace faster, as if that will somehow help.

  Blake grabs my arm, pulling me to an abrupt halt. “You can’t risk going back there.”

  I pull away and keep walking. “I can’t risk not going back.”

  “It’s only a few more days, right? We can keep you hidden somehow.”

  Where have I heard that before? “How? Jonah will be looking for any opportunity to expose me. And he won’t let it go. He came to the ranch today on crutches, for God’s sake. You think he’s going to wait around until I turn seventeen and get all my powers?”

  “Jonah we can handle. Those things in there are purebred creatures of the underworld.”

  “I’m going back.”

  “You can’t.” Blake grabs my shoulder. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “For some, maybe. Not me. After all, I’m a creature of the underworld, right?”

  Blake’s face is serious. “There’s more than just hell down there, Brianna. And you’re also half human. That’s the more important half.”

  “Says the guy committed to ridding the world of all magic except, of course, his own.”

  Blake smiles. “I never said I was perfect.”

  “Why didn’t you just kill me and get it over with?” His sword had been close enough to draw blood. I start to move around him. “Or if the wolfhounds get me, it’ll be that much easier for you, right?”

  He grabs my hand. “Here’s the thing. You can’t help what you are any more than I can. My whole life has been dictated by my place in the Circle. Every important decision in my life has always been made for me.”

  Including this one. So I’m just another choice that’s been forced on him. The ache in my gut shouldn’t be there now that he’s touching me. I know he feels it too, because his eyes narrow.

  “Let’s just forget it,” I say.

  He reaches for my chin, looking into my eyes. “Oh hell, I’ve screwed this up, haven’t I?”

  I try to shake my head, but he holds me still.

  His thumb traces a circle on my cheek. “I’m sorry if I suck at this. I’ve never had a girlfriend before.”

  “I’ve been watching you for a year, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without some girl hanging all over you.”

  “Some girl, not the same girl.” I feel his frustration building, but then it stops. “Wait. You’ve been watching me?”

  Whoops. I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. “It’s not what you think. You were kind of a science project.”

  He grins. “For a year?”

  “What about Portia?” I blurt.

  “Portia? What about her?”

  “Didn’t you go out with her?”

  “It was nothing.”

  “So tell me.”

  “She’s Rush’s daughter. Her mom is seventh generation too. You’d think that would give her some standing in the Circle, but she’s only a first generation breeder. A one. The Circle can be cruel. I thought maybe I could help her improve her sta
nding. We went out a few times. Before I saw you.”

  “You were with her after the poker game.” I can’t stop the black emotion that swirls inside. I don’t want to feel it. Still, it comes, an inky sea teeming with bloodsucking parasites, latching on and not letting go.

  Blake’s anger is there too, melding with mine. “What did you see, Brianna? I thought I could forget you if I just focused on someone else. I tried. I couldn’t even give her a ride home. Since the night you walked into the kitchen at the party, there hasn’t been anyone else.”

  My stomach churns with a dizzy cocktail of jealousy and indignation. “What about the Boobsie Twins? Sierra? Kendra?”

  “Now you’re mad about girls that I talked to before we ever went out? Because if we’re going to go there, I seem to recall having to chase you out of a dark bedroom or two.”

  “Once.” My voice is quiet.

  “You still want him. I’ve felt it.”

  I want to tell him that Austin means nothing. He might be a god, but everything he made me feel was fake. Smoke and mirrors. Yet my pride won’t let me tell Blake the truth.

  “Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it didn’t take Austin over a year to notice me while he dated virtually every available girl in Rancho Domingo,” I say. “Or that he didn’t turn away when I smiled. Maybe it’s because he didn’t forget that he was actually introduced to me at least six times.”

  Blake’s hand is in his hair. “You know that’s not fair.”

  “It’s still the truth.”

  “So now you blame me for the power you wielded with that damn bracelet? In case you haven’t noticed, Austin can make you feel things that aren’t even true.”

  “Like this damn bond?” I want to take the words back as soon as I say them, but I can’t.

  Blake’s anger and my sadness converge into a numb depression that settles in my chest like it’s going to stay awhile. I know I should stop. But I want to hurt Blake, to pay for the fifty-seven little hurts he’s inflicted on me.

  “At least when Austin kissed me, it wasn’t with the knowledge that we would end up in a twisted soul bond that could only end in death.”

  “Is that what you think?” Blake’s voice is so low, I feel it more than I hear it.

  “You knew what I was. Maybe you didn’t believe it at first, but at some point, you knew exactly what you were doing.”

  My arrow hits the mark. Trouble is, it’s hard to tell whether the pain that rolls me in nauseating waves is his pain or my own. It hardly matters. We’re a match made in hell.

  Blake doesn’t say anything more. He turns and walks back to the parking lot. I’m free to go back to Avernus and look for my bracelet, to be mauled by a trio of hellhounds if that’s what I want. But I won’t give Blake the satisfaction. If I’m going to die, he’s going to have to be the one to pull the trigger. I’m not letting him out of this that easy.

  Blake doesn’t say anything when I slide into the passenger seat. He just stares straight ahead and drives me home. I sit not six inches from him. Without my bracelet.

  And I’ve never felt more invisible.

  THIRTY

  I get ready for school, even though I feel naked without my bracelet. I’m not afraid. Blake’s already introduced me to Micah and Jeremy, and I doubt I’ll run into Jonah at R.D. High. But it doesn’t really matter—I want Jonah to come after me. It will save me having to hunt him down myself.

  Still, it’s awkward when I walk into the kitchen and Dad tells me how nice I look today. I’m not sure how to react, so I just grab a muffin from the box on the counter and pretend I don’t hear him.

  The walk from the parking lot into school is more bizarre. I’m used to guys never looking at my face, never looking at me. It’s a shock when Mark Briggs grins at me and waggles his eyebrows as I get out of my car. “Looking good, Paxton!”

  “Dude, you’re smoking.” Rob Schrader sidles up next to Mark. The two have bonded over their mutual love of PlayStation and porn.

  Not being noticed by guys like Rob and Mark has never been a problem for me. I walk by without acknowledging them. Welcome to the invisible zone, guys.

  A low whistle assaults my ears with an ominous ring. I stop, the hair rising on the back of my neck. I’m torn between turning to look and forcing myself to keep walking. It’s probably just a couple of dorks like Rob and Mark, feeling the need to publicly comment on my transformation.

  I’m lying to myself. The fire that flows through my veins tells me everything I need know.

  I turn my head to the right, craning my neck toward a cherry-red truck with custom black stripes. It takes up nearly two parking spaces with its oversized tires and huge wheel base. Jonah Timken leans against the bumper, sipping from a cardboard coffee cup. A pair of crutches rests against the tailgate. So much for Christy’s banishment spell.

  I turn all the way around and march toward him. The fire inside me is already tickling my fingers, and I want retribution.

  Jonah looks up from the coffee. His Adam’s apple slides up and down as he swallows. For a second I have the upper hand. I shouldn’t hesitate. I should burn him up now, before he realizes what’s coming. I only have to picture Dart lying in a pool of his own blood.

  But I don’t attack him. Maybe it’s because Dart is alive. Maybe it’s because Jonah’s relaxed body language tells me he’s not here to fight. A small part of me hopes it’s because I’m not the same kind of monster he is.

  Jonah’s eyes are thirsty, despite the drink in his hand.

  I stop a few feet in front of him. “What are you doing here? Slumming? Shouldn’t you be out getting your rich girlfriend wasted or something?”

  Jonah can’t hide the surprise in his voice. “Where’s your disguise, bandia?”

  “Who am I hiding from? You and I don’t have secrets.”

  His smile is sickening. “What game are you playing?”

  My eyes go to his right hand, remembering how it closed around my neck at Joe’s party. I have to fight not to back away from him. “I don’t need to hide from you. I’m not as weak as you think.”

  He laughs at that. “I never thought you were weak. The magic that surrounds you is crazy strong. It’s what makes you such a hot mess.”

  Bile rises in my throat as his gaze rakes up and down my body. I’ve never wanted to disappear more. I paste on a smile of my own.

  “I think I get why Blake wants to keep you around for a while. I may decide to do the same once he’s out of the picture.”

  “What, you don’t want to kill me now?” He’s the worst sort of coward. “Of course not. Why would you go after someone who could burn you to a crisp? Defenseless animals are more your thing, is that it?”

  Jonah sets down his coffee and reaches for the crutches. “Animals? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Sounds a little kinky, but I’m open-minded.” He licks his lips. “You and I have some unfinished business.”

  “You won’t touch me again.” I summon as much strength as I can.

  Jonah laughs like I’ve said something funny. “You’re not mine to kill. It’s only dumb luck Blake found you first. You think that means something, but it’s just your DNA seeking out a mate. Soon it’ll be my touch that makes you burn. My soul that mates with yours. My hand that spills your blood.”

  My stomach heaves at his words, the muffin threatening to come back up. “How do you know about the bond?”

  His smile gets wider. “You were born with the same curse we all were, this sick connection that forces us together and tears us apart. I didn’t realize Blake got to you first until he jumped me. Blake was smart to seal the deal before you caught on. I only wish I’d found you first. I bet you’re pretty hot in the sack.”

  I know Blake didn’t bond with me on purpose, even though it’s what I accused him of
myself. But Jonah makes it sound so much more twisted. And if Blake wanted me dead, I would be dead by now.

  Jonah hobbles forward on his crutches, closing the gap between us. “We didn’t think there were any bandia left. And then there was that blue fire. I’m surprised Blake didn’t kill you first thing, after what you did to his house. But here you are, dripping with magic and sexy as hell. My money’s on you—I can hardly wait until the bond is broken and you’re up for grabs again.” He makes an obscene gesture with his hand.

  I’m filled with a mixture of hope and dread. “You know how to break the bond?”

  Jonah raises an eyebrow. “I understand it’s quite painful.”

  “How?”

  “It’s simple. One of you dies.”

  Not the answer I’m hoping for, but about what I expect. “If I die, you’ll never get near me.” Not a great option, but an option.

  “Who said anything about killing you?”

  He can’t be implying what I think. “Blake is one of your Circle.”

  Jonah shakes his head. “You think he cares about alliances? If he did, he would have told the Circle about you. He kept you to himself, assuming you’d be dead before any of us even knew you existed.”

  I don’t want to hear this. I want to cover my ears and sing at the top of my lungs like a five-year-old. I can’t let him see how much he’s affecting me, but I’m shaking with rage and something darker.

  “Even if you somehow killed Blake. I would never let you near me,” I tell him. “I would sooner die than bond with you.”

  He shrugs. “It’s your call.” He winks at me, then turns back toward his monster truck, leaning on his crutches.

  My blood is hot. A fireball appears in my hand before I can even think to conjure it. It’s just there, as natural as a sneeze or a tear. The part of me that wants to take him out is right there with it, as much a part of who I am as breathing. But there are people here, bystanders who’ve done nothing to me.

  I take a breath and start counting. 5. 25. 125. 625. Better.

  Before Jonah can take a step, I send the blue flames sailing over his head into the bed of his truck. Instant car-b-que.