by Ada Adams
Lena looked around to make sure no one was watching, then carefully moved to the fire pit. “I think fire has a way of warming one’s soul.”
And you could use a little soul-warming, her eyes seemed to say.
With one hand, she picked up a piece of discarded firewood and placed it in the dying fire. She sank her other hand deep into the coals, and I flinched at the sizzling sound that followed. Slowly, the embers began to glow brighter, emitting a small flame that expanded and grew. The rumbling blaze caught on to the wood, fueling a small inferno. Lena exhaled and pulled her hand out from the flames, her golden skin perfectly unharmed. She shot me a contented smile.
“What just happened?” I gasped once I managed to find my voice.
Lena winked. “Just some forta fun.”
“Some what fun?”
“Forta,” she repeated. “I used my forta to cheer you up. Didn’t you like it?”
“Your forta?” I asked, dumbfounded. “What’s that?”
She gaped as if I’d just announced that I’m actually an alien. “You know, forta.”
I clearly didn’t. “You just started a fire with your bare hands.”
Lena giggled. “Yes, I’m a pyroflamer. What’s your forta?”
“Umm…” My thoughts were still stuck on the image of Lena’s hand inside the fire as I tried to understand why she saying forta like it was supposed to mean something.
“Oh. Oh!” Recognition sparked in Lena’s eyes. “Oh, wow. You don’t know what a forta is, do you?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t. In fact, I’ve never heard of it before.”
“Every Born vampire has a forta. It’s a special power that we’re each gifted with,” Lena said gently. “How could you not know?”
It wasn’t meant to be as an insult, but I couldn’t help but feel hurt. Throughout my life, I’d always been the one with all the answers. I’d grown up with the best training any vampire could receive, but I’d never heard about fortas.
If Lena was right, and every Born had one…then why didn’t I?
“There are a lot of different fortas—some more exciting than others. It’s kind of a Born secret,” Lena said. “One passed on from mother to daughter.”
Well, that explained some of the mystery, I mused. I never had a mother. Though my father, being the vampire president, had to have known about fortas.
So, why did he keep it a secret from me?
“You play with fire?” I smiled, shifting the topic back to Lena. “That’s pretty impressive.”
She laughed. “Well, it’s not as cool as shooting fireballs out of my hands, or anything like that. I’m basically one with fire. Unlike most vampires, I can walk through it without getting burned. I can tolerate extremely high temperatures. I can amplify flames and heat things using my body. But I can’t actually start fires nor manipulate them without touching an actual source.”
“You said there are other types of fortas?” I was thirsting for knowledge. “What can other Born do?”
Lena poked the fire with her finger. The flames shot up with an angry hiss. “My twin is a waterdweller; she can stay under water for days. She is like a real-life vampire mermaid.”
“But, you’re twins…how come you don’t have identical fortas?” I asked.
“Fortas are like fingerprints. Even though our DNA is the same, our fortas differ.”
“What other fortas have you encountered?” I held my breath.
“I saw a girl levitate once, and I’ve heard of Born moving objects with their minds, but I haven’t met very many Born in my life. It’s not like we all hang out in a secret club or anything.” She chuckled. “Back in the day, we used to be forbidden to talk about our powers, but not anymore. The topic is becoming less taboo now that we’re out in the open, so I’m assuming that the entire world will get to learn about fortas pretty soon.”
“I can’t do any of the things you’ve mentioned,” I whispered, feeling slightly envious. “Unlike you, I’m definitely not one with fire. I’ve touched a hot stove enough times to know that with certainty. I’ve also willed a lot of objects to move—especially since I’ve met Razor and imagined hitting him over the head more than once. I definitely can’t fly…”
“What about glamouring?” she asked.
“I always thought that glamouring was a myth.”
Lena nodded. “For most vampires, it is. But the ability to manipulate minds is also the most well-known type of forta. I guess that’s where the popular idea that all vampires can glamour comes from. Some Born like to brag. The rumors floating around on television and in books about vampires’ powers are based on a very loose interpretation of the truth. Flying, telekinesis, glamour…yes, some vampires can do it, but only the Born have a forta, and only one forta per girl.”
“So a Born with the ability to glamour could make a human do anything she wants, right?”
“Right. Mindbenders can make humans into their puppets. With lots of practice, some can even alter their subjects’ realities.”
“Can they glamour vampires too?” I asked.
“I suppose it’s possible.” Lena drifted off in thought for a moment. “Though it would be a pretty bad idea to use your forta against another vampire.”
“Not if you were trying to create an army of rogues responsible for draining your peers,” I replied quickly. “The team said that the vampires and werewolves who attacked the Scarlet House were under the influence of something odd. They described them as being zombified. The rogue vamps that Razor and I fought were also possessed by some kind of a spell,” I explained. “Doesn’t that sound like glamour to you?”
Lena gasped. “Your think a Born is behind the kidnappings?”
“It’s starting to look possible. The werewolf we encountered at Sebastian’s definitely worked for a vampire. And he kept going on and on about how he needed my blood. The entire time, I kept thinking that he was talking about vampire blood in general, but now I think it’s possible that he zeroed in on me because I was a Born. Perhaps because their supplier is also a Born?”
Lena’s eyes widened. “That’s a really scary thought. One of us…”
I jumped up from the log. “We have to do something!”
She raised her eyebrows. “Uhh, right now? What can we do? Warn all Born against associating with other Born because one of their friends may want to drain them?”
“It’s a start,” I said, ignoring her sarcastic tone.
“Who would believe something like that?” Lena asked, pulling me back to my seat. “Plus, didn’t you promise Razor to take the night off?”
“I do recall such a promise being made,” Razor interjected as he approached the fire, Ethan and Sebastian following closely behind.
“We heard what happened at the town hall,” Sebastian said, sinking down on a log between Lena and me. His cool fingers brushed my arm tenderly. The caress lasted only a second, but my skin tingled even after he’d removed his hand. And apparently, I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed the brief touch.
Lena shifted, squeezing closer to Sebastian. “Bast, I just showed Dawn my forta!” she exclaimed. “And we’re working on some theories regarding the Born kidnappings.”
Oh, now she wants to work?
I snapped my head toward her. “I thought that the information was supposed to be a Born secret.”
“Bast is family,” Lena said, smiling. “He grew up with us and has seen Sierra and I use our fortas before.” She then turned to Sebastian. “Did you know that Dawn doesn’t know anything about her forta?”
Ethan and Razor exchanged a perplexed look—the same look that I wore mere moments before—so I quickly divulged everything that Lena had told me about fortas. I had no intention of keeping any secrets, especially since I needed to discuss my new Born kidnapping theory.
“So you really don’t know the extent of your powers?” Razor asked, sitting down beside me.
I tried not to sulk. “I don’t even know if I have any
powers.”
“We ruled out hitting you over the head by means of telekinesis,” Lena told Razor. “Flying and fire powers are out too. There’s still the possibility of water and glamour—and there are other fortas I’m not familiar with. Maybe together we can help Dawn discover her forta!”
Razor turned to face me, folding his arms across his chest. “I’ll be your first test subject. Why don’t you try glamouring me?”
I raised my eyebrows. “As much as I want to find out what my forta is—or if I even have one—is no one else is concerned about the fact that there may be a rogue Born running around?”
“Don’t worry, D. The world will still need saving tomorrow. I, on the other hand, may not be around. So, glamour me,” Razor challenged. “That is, if you dare.”
All eyes were on me.
Ugh. They weren’t going to consider my theories until I performed a circus trick.
I glared at Razor. “What should I get you to do?”
He laughed. “I think for the experiment to work properly, I can’t actually know that. Start off easy,” he suggested. “Tell me to do something simple.”
“Make him get you a drink,” Lena whispered in my ear. “Just visualize it in your head, and will him to deliver it,” she advised.
“Fine.” I moved my left leg over the log so that I was straddling it, facing Razor. He mirrored my move with his right leg, bringing us face-to-face. The rest of the group turned to watch, and I suddenly felt like a show pony. Nervous shivers crept up my fingertips. I thrust my hands underneath me in an attempt to prevent them from trembling.
Taking a deep breath, I began to focus on Razor’s dark gray eyes, concentrating my mind on two little words: Blood Cola.
I want a glass of Blood Cola, I told him silently.
He didn’t blink, but he didn’t move either.
Blood Cola. Get me some Blood Cola, I willed.
I kept chanting the mantra over and over again, trying to invade his thoughts with my own. Razor shifted forward in his seat, bringing his face closer. His eyes were locked tightly on mine.
Get me a drink…
He moved even closer. His breathing stilled. He licked his lips.
Blood Cola! I chanted, squeezing my eyes shut.
I visualized the thoughts flying through my brain, making a concrete connection with his. When I opened my eyes, our foreheads were touching, and Razor was looking at me with a mischievous smirk on his face.
“You’re trying to get me to kiss you, aren’t you?” he whispered huskily, a mere fraction of an inch away from my lips.
Placing my hands against his chest, I pushed him away. “I was definitely not going for that!” I said, jumping up.
He grabbed his chest, miming a heart attack. Lena giggled. Even Ethan sported an amused grin. Sebastian, on the other hand, shoved away from the log, and without saying a word, stormed off toward the inn.
“What happened?” Lena asked, watching him disappear into the darkness.
Razor shrugged. “Sometime in the past century, my brother swallowed a few too many emo pills.” He turned to me. “Well it looks like you can’t glamour,” he said. “Unless, you really wanted me to kiss you. In that case, you passed with flying colors.”
I groaned, but the desire to shoot back an insult simply wasn’t there. I had a desperate, overwhelming urge to be alone. Lena’s news about vampires possessing fortas had rattled me.
Why didn’t I know about these powers before? Why had my father kept them a secret from me for nineteen years? He’d clearly gone through a lot of trouble to do so. What didn’t he want me to know? Did I not have a forta, so he was trying to spare my feelings? Was there something wrong with me?
More importantly, the matter of the Born kidnappings was still weighing heavily on me. The image of little Julie’s lifeless body was forever imprinted on my mind.
Could a Born mindbender really be behind these kidnappings? Could someone be so callous and heartless that they would be capable of hurting their own kind? If so, what was her agenda?
My mind was riddled with countless questions to which I had no answers.
“I’m all partied out,” I told the group. “I think I’ll head back to the cottage.”
I braced myself for the party-pooper name-calling that I was sure would ensue, but for once Razor didn’t tease. Instead, he apologized.
“I’m sorry if I pushed the boundaries tonight,” he said. “I won’t rest until we find out about your forta and the Born. I promise.”
“Thank you,” I told him.
Lena bid me a friendly goodbye, but Ethan mistook my need to leave for an excuse to run after Sebastian. As I walked across the grass, he caught up to me.
“Don’t go after him,” he pleaded. “He’s not worth it.”
“I’m not,” I responded truthfully.
“I see what he does to you. I can’t just stand by and watch it happen.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know that Sebastian is being a jerk,” he spat.
“Things are way more complicated than that,” I retorted.
“How?” he asked, raising his voice. “Love isn’t supposed to be complicated, Dawn. If it is, then you’re doing it wrong.”
“I’m doing a lot of things wrong,” I whispered. “And they don’t have anything to do with Sebastian or love.” Well, most didn’t anyway.
“Then what is it? What’s wrong?” He took my hand and pulled me to him. “Tell me.”
I wanted to. I really did. Even if Ethan and I seemed to be on rocky terrain lately, I yearned to open up to someone about Aurora. I needed to share my dirty little secret. And he was presenting me with the perfect opportunity.
But what if he didn’t believe me? Or even worse, what if he did?
I’d have to admit that her rage is spurred on by my proximity to Sebastian, and then we’d be back at square one—Ethan trying to convince me that Sebastian is bad news, and me trying to convince both Ethan and myself that I have no feelings for Sebastian. I decided to keep quiet.
“What can I do to make it better?” Ethan asked when I didn’t speak. “What do you need?”
“Right now, I need a friend,” I said truthfully, gently pushing away from him. “I’m sorry if I led you to believe otherwise. That hadn’t been my intention.”
I watched his face fall. He slowly shook his head. “You didn’t. I knew who your heart belonged to the moment I saw you with Sebastian. I could feel it, even if it broke me on the inside. There are times I want to yell and scream and do something stupid to get your attention, but I know that acting like that would just push you further away. So for now, I’m content being that friend.” But then his voice dropped, taking on a darker tone. “I just don’t know how much longer I can hold out before I do succumb to the stupidity. I just keep thinking, what if Sebastian had never come back to Angel Creek?”
My mind flashed to the night of our almost-kiss. The kiss, I later found out, that was disrupted by Sebastian. It was true that from the moment I met Ethan, I had felt something for him. But that something, I later realized, had been infatuation and excitement spurred on by meeting a cute, smart, kind guy—a guy I may have fallen for if Sebastian hadn’t entered the picture. One I would have probably found an uncomplicated sense of happiness with, at least for a while. But while my feelings for Ethan lingered on the surface and radiated a warm sense of security throughout my body, my feelings for Sebastian penetrated deep into my soul. And sometimes that invasion was painful. Most of the time though, it was unlike anything I’d ever felt before—wonderful, thrilling, gratifying. And extremely terrifying.
“I just don’t want to see you get your heart broken,” Ethan whispered.
“I’m grateful that you’re looking out for me,” I told him. “My heart is okay for now.” My mind, on the other hand, was another story.
“Please be careful,” he warned.
Everyone was telling me that lately, but what d
id it really mean? How could I be careful when the one person who wanted to destroy me dwelled inside my head?
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing,” I lied. “And I’m definitely not going after Sebastian.” At least that much was true. Feelings or no feelings, I had no intention of endorsing Sebastian’s emo-fest.
Ethan relaxed a little. “Okay. Good night, Dawn,” he said, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek.
“Good night, Ethan.”
I decided to take a detour back to the cottage to avoid Main Street. The partying was just winding down—only a few brave teens still wandered the streets—but I didn’t want to risk running into any of our group. Instead, I climbed up the hill toward Angel Creek High, the next closest point of entry into the forest.
As I approached the dark building, a tiny gleam of light in one of its basement windows caught my attention. The closer I got, the brighter it became, until the entire window was a shimmering, soft blue color. I knelt down to peer through the glass. Bright underwater lights illuminated the high-school swimming pool, giving it a silver touch. The serene water beckoned me inside.
I was going for a swim.
Or, rather, I was going to test out the only other forta that I knew of—waterdwelling.
I tried the window, but it was firmly shut. I walked around the entire school until I found one that was propped open with a math textbook. I slipped through the opening, gently landing on the white tile below. The sound of my boots connecting with the floor echoed throughout the space.
I walked the perimeter of the pool to the deep end, not turning on the light to avoid calling attention to my trespassing. The illumination from the fixtures in the water combined with the glow of the full moon to provide a peaceful, ethereal atmosphere. Taking off my boots, I dipped one toe in the pool, testing the water.
A little on the warm side, but it would do.
I stripped down to my undergarments, and taking a deep breath, dove into the pool. The water enveloped my body, washing over me as I launched myself to the bottom. Entirely submerged, I stuck to the center lane, gliding through the water, coming up for air only when I needed to—which was every three lengths or so. While impressive, I definitely wasn’t a vampire mermaid.