Blushing red all over, she whipped her arm away and tucked it behind her back, as if hiding it would make what had happened less real. “Uh, sorry. You just kind of went quiet and looked really upset for a minute there.”
Lifting the hand she'd taken, I smoothed the cuff of my shirt deftly. “Did I? Sorry, something occurred to me. I should be taking off.”
“Taking off? What? To where?”
“It's just some business,” I shrugged, casting a quick glance across the club. Ethlyn was watching me, but that was fine. I felt positive he wasn't going to be doing anything rash.
“Business,” she said beside me. “Is this business with your 'source' twaelin, then?”
Startled enough that I spun back around, my opal eyes found Gale looking smugly satisfied.
Lovely, I think I just gave myself away.
Scowling, she flipped her braid over her shoulder again. The motion made her dress sparkle in the sparse lighting. “Don't look so shocked. I'm not stupid or something. You already told me you were following me because someone told you to, I just connected the dots a little more.”
Clever, or maybe I was just too cocky.
Smiling wide, I spread my hands and sighed. “I won't patronize you with a compliment, then.”
“But it is true, you're going to go tell whoever your source twaelin is about something.” Eyeing me with paranoia, I felt the flickers of her rising distress. “You're going to tell them... about what I just said to you. About how I felt your presence, and—and Ethan—Ethlyn—whatever his name is. That's it, isn't?”
Now she's divining too much.
My voice was flat, brooding with a promise of danger. “I can't answer any of that.”
“You said you'd answer my questions!” she snapped, leaning in my direction with blatant disregard for how obvious she was being.
Darting a look at Ethlyn, I hunched low, moving until my nose almost brushed Gale's. “I said I'd talk while we danced. We aren't dancing any longer.”
“No,” she said through tight lips, “I guess we're not.”
That anger was like fresh coffee on my tongue, bitter but intoxicating. Yet, I was bothered by her reaction.
Since when do I care about such things?
Without a word, I strolled off into the thick of the crowd. In the moving, shifting world of flexing bodies and pulsing life, no one would even notice me passing through realities.
I didn't have time to justify my actions or calm Gale down. My mind was set on my duty, I knew I needed to report to my Mistress.
It was just how it was.
It had always been like that.
Chapter 9.
Gale Everette
Furious, I glowered after Nethiun for long minutes, far beyond the moment he'd vanished into the blackness of the club.
My feet ached, my stomach was a mess of roiling liquid, and my head felt dull from the small amount of alcohol I'd had.
Worse, everything I learned from Nethiun had just given me more questions.
More fear.
He's going to tell someone—someone who he clearly answers to—about how I've been sensing twaelin. I didn't even know how I'd been doing it, I'd only pinpointed what I'd been feeling when Nethiun had encouraged me to feel his energy beating.
Recalling how he'd forced my hand to his hard chest, feeling the firm muscles, the strange sensation of his very being pumping to a steady rhythm... It made me dizzy, my breath short.
No, I thought angrily. Stop, don't get all goo-goo eyed over this. Sure, he had some moves, and yes, he was exciting to dance with... and the closest you've ever been to a guy, any guy, never mind someone as mysterious and attractive as... as...
Clapping my hands to my cheeks, I winced. This was not the line of thought I wanted. Was I as simple as that? So wrapped up in the blood rushing through my body, was I unable to rationalize how dangerous it was to even consider getting close to a creature like Nethiun?
He smelled like cloves and cinnamon.
His words, his teasing, toying way of suggesting I find out just how human he was, it sent a flutter deep into my belly.
That's it, I need to go home.
Turning, spotting Becky wrapped against Ethlyn with her lips glued to his face, I squealed.
Cracking one gold eye, he caught me gawking. Whispering something to Becky, he removed her from the life-or-death hold she had on him.
Though she pursed her lips into a pout, she still looked my way and gave a tiny wave. It was too loud to hear her, but she clearly mouthed my name.
Okay, here we go, you can do this. Just don't freak out too badly about Ethlyn. You got this.
Not entirely sure I did, in fact, have it... I wandered over on stiff legs, adjusting my dress as I went. “Hey guys,” I said, my eyes running over Becky's legs. Far too much had become exposed on her during her time with him.
I wonder what it's like to kiss a twaelin?
I regretted that line of thought, cheeks buzzing as I found myself unable to look Ethlyn straight in the face.
“Where'd Nethiun go?” he asked, almost accusingly.
“Oh, uh, just... he said he needed to go.” Peeking at Becky, how she was still unable to stop touching her companion, I pressed on. “Speaking of which, it's kind of late. Mind if I head out?”
“What, now?” she whined, pouting at me with her biggest eyes. “Things were just getting good.”
Laughing apologetically, I stared at the spot just beyond Ethlyn's head. Anything else was too much. “It's fine, you stay. I'll get my jacket and just walk back, I'll be fine.”
“No, let Ethan and me walk back with you. It's too risky alone, especially in that outfit,” she said, sticking her tongue out at me.
I covered my chest nervously. “You picked this out.”
“And,” Ethlyn said, “it's quite nice. However, Becky's right. We'll go back together, it's safer.”
Gingerly, I let my eyes move enough to see him squinting at me intensely. Jerking my gaze away again, I coughed. Safer, yes, much safer with the guy who tried to drop a sign on me. “Right. Okay,” I said lamely.
Honestly, this is fine. It's better than leaving them alone together.
I still hated that idea the most.
****
It was much colder outside than I remembered it being. When I spotted the time on the large clock in the middle of downtown, I grasped why.
Is it seriously already midnight?
Breathing out a puff of air, watching it dwindle away, I felt a little content that I had somewhat accomplished my goals for the day.
I had so many more questions. The more I learned the more I wanted to know... but at least I DID figure out some stuff today.
I really just wanted to crack open the book Mr. Birch had given me.
The walk back to campus was uneventful. Ethlyn said almost nothing, Becky giggled and primped and just acted like Becky.
Our heels made a duo of drumming clicks, punctuated by my occasional stumble. Once, I almost tripped on a crack in the pavement.
“Here,” Ethlyn said, offering me his arm. “Let me help, those shoes are doing you no good.”
Becky shot me a look that was as much of a warning as if she'd slapped me on the face. “Uh, no thanks, we're almost there.”
His stoic face watched me, but he didn't press the issue.
True to my word, we stumbled up the grassy slope of the campus, the dorms a welcome sight. Yawning, I headed down the hall, only realizing my companions weren't with me when my steps echoed alone.
Pausing, I turned back, seeing them standing by the building doorway. “Guys?”
Clapping her hands together like she was praying, my room
mate put on a winning smile. “Sorry, I'm going to head back to Ethan's place.”
Flooding with worry, I pushed it down as good as I could when I felt that twaelin eyeing me. “I'll bring her back in one piece,” he said, chuckling darkly.
Becky giggled, but I only felt sick.
“Good night, Gale,” he said, waving a hand lazily. The other was wrapped around Becky's thin waist possessively.
Gritting my jaw, unsure what I could do to prevent this, I just looked at Becky. “Are you sure?”
Taken aback, she flashed me a conspiratorial look. “Um, yes? What do you mean, 'am I sure?'”
Sweat slid down my back, gluing my dress to my shoulder blades. “Just... like...”
“Gale,” she said firmly. “I'll see you tomorrow, okay?”
There was no way to convince her, and in that moment, I felt more helpless than I ever had. How did you warn someone that the guy they were sleeping with was so deadly? That he wasn't human?
Lifting my hand, I gave a weak wave. “Just be careful.”
It was all I could do.
The pair vanished out into the night, leaving me in the hallway. Hugging my jacket tight, I pushed into my room, resisting the urge to slam the door.
Tearing my hair from the braid she had woven for me, I ignored the sharp pain of the strands that ripped from my roots. Why does she need to go do stuff like that? Moving to kick off my heels, I was so exhausted I instead fell sideways, hitting the edge of my bed.
Grunting, tears welling in the corners of my eyes, I sat down hard on the floor. Yanking the shoes off, I threw them at Becky's pillows. “Stupid,” I sobbed, frustrated that I could do nothing. “Just stupid, and reckless, and... and...”
Sniffling, I didn't finish my tirade. I knew it wasn't her fault, how could she know what Ethlyn really was?
More so, what he tried to do to me.
I was terrified for my friend, trying to find ways to convince myself nothing would happen to her. That she wouldn't end up hurt.
That she wouldn't end up dead.
Nethiun, are you watching out for my friends, too? Or do you not think Ethlyn will harm her?
He had seemed pretty calm in the club, but could I use that as a gauge about Becky's safety, even?
Leaning my temple against my mattress, I breathed in slowly, calming my nerves. There was nothing I could do, nothing to make the situation different.
But...
Looking up, my eyes fell on the heavy book my English teacher had given me. If I can't change things now, maybe I can find something out to help me in the future.
Scrambling onto my bed, I tugged my jacket and dress off until I was in nothing but my underwear. I'd wanted the sticky, shiny dress off most of all. Happily, I threw it in a corner.
Pulling on a long shirt, one that probably needed a wash since I wore it to bed so much, I dragged the book onto my knees.
The texture of the cover reminded me of dry skin, a fact I was quick to push aside by flipping it open. The paper was terrifyingly fragile. With careful fingers, I browsed through the pages, not sure what I was even looking for.
This seems so old, I didn't expect it to be in English. Who even wrote this? Every page seemed to talk about flora, fauna, different parts of the globe. There were weird poems mixed inside, as well as little stories, but nothing that seemed relevant.
Frustrated, I began flipping through faster, eyes darting side to side to take in the writing. I hoped I'd find a single word, something that indicated I should stop and read further.
I got much more than that.
Towards the end of the tome, I came across a drawing. Ink wash, black as night, the sketch was extremely detailed. It depicted a woman, stretched across the ground in apparent distress.
Her eyes were wide, empty, mouth forced open in a silent scream. Above her, like a ghostly image that spread across the entire upper page, was something monstrous in nature. It had no face that I could see, but the tendrils drifting off of it were digging into the woman, draped across her like a hundred strings.
With my heart thumping, I read the passage below it. At first, it made no sense to me. It was a story about a human who let a stranger into her home when he asked for a bit of food. If anything, it seemed a cautionary tale more than real information.
Then, I came across the word. The word I'd been searching for, and that seemed impossible to find anywhere.
Twaelin. It's calling that dark, horrible thing a twaelin.
Swallowing, burning like something was watching me, I was reminded of the the time I'd stayed up late watching horror movies. That same, heavy pit sat in my stomach.
Only what I was so scared of wasn't something created by thick makeup or computer graphics.
This is talking about something real. Something... entirely too real.
Dragging my fingertip over the words, I wondered how much of this was accurate. It talked about beings that hid inside humans, claimed they drained humans of life.
It said twaelin were 'changelings' that craved destruction, death, and power. It doesn't seem to paint these guys in a very nice way, does it?
Flipping the page, I found another set of drawings. It was like a strange family tree, in a sense. A huge circle took up almost the entire paper. Inside of it, there was another, both of them drawn in the same pitch black ink.
Within that, there were three things that reminded me of medals; they were elaborate, with tiny writing surrounding each of them.
Squinting, I leaned close, trying to make sense of it all. Are these... names?
The left one said 'Trethin' with a notation inside the center, curved to fit the bottom of the round edge, that said 'Duke of Creation' in elaborate curling letters.
Frowning, tracing my hand around the drawing, I wondered what it meant. The middle illustration read 'Canendore, Queen of Dreams.'
On the right, repeated in layout, was the last design. 'Valenforth, King of Corpses.'
Shaking my head, I tucked my hair behind my ears when it fell into my vision. Who are these, people? What is this showing me?
I didn't understand at all, what did a drawing of a bunch of circles inside of circles have to do with the twaelin?
Turning the pages, I didn't find any other references to anything that seemed useful. The rest of the tome was about other myths, legends, and reports of the esoteric.
I'm calling it legend, myth, but if the twaelin in this are real, who knows what else is?
Rubbing my temples, I groaned. What was the key I was missing? Who the hell were Trethin, Canendore, or Valenforth?
Flipping onto my stomach, I stretched out with the book in front of me. My nose nearly brushed the pages as I turned back, pouring over the only section that seemed relevant.
The drawing of the different circles and seals kept pulling me in. Are these supposed to be people who studied the twaelin, maybe?
Yawning loudly, I blinked through my blurry vision. Maybe there's more in here, and I'm just not seeing it. I wish I knew what I was looking for.
I felt I'd learned more about the twaelin from Nethiun himself. Maybe the book had been a waste of effort in the end. Mr. Birch meant well, as weird as it is that he had a book about this stuff.
Sitting up on my elbows, a sudden thought hit me. If he knew about the twaelin... who told him? Is it possible that Mr. Birch is—no, no that can't be right. If he was a twaelin, why help me out and give me a book about them?
Besides, he was my English teacher, and had been so for the whole first semester. It seemed too convenient.
Warily, I stared down at the writing, my brain buzzing in paranoia. Then again, I don't have a clue still what these things are doing, or why, or how I'm mixed up
in it. I know Nethiun seemed to freak out a bit when I told him I could sense him and Ethlyn, but...
Then, wouldn't I have sensed Mr. Birch, if he was one, too?
I don't even know how many of these things there are, ugh.
Closing my eyes, I set my forehead on the rough textured paper. I'm going to become insane if I start suspecting everyone that helps me of having ulterior motives.
I just wish I knew what these twaelin wanted with me...
And I wish this book could give me the answers.
Breathing deeply, the scent of parchment in my nose, I felt myself drifting away. A circle, with circles inside of it. That has to be important somehow.
What was most important to me, in the end, ended up being the realm of sleep.
Chapter 10.
Gale Everette
I had spent all of Sunday reading over the book. I'd even gone so far as to start scribbling notes. By the end of the day, I'd accumulated nothing more than some cups of coffee all over my desk, a bag of chips I'd splurged on, and a bunch of pencil smudges on my hands.
I'd traced the different seals onto lined paper, on the off chance Mr. Birch wanted the book back before I was ready to be done with it.
Sitting among my scraps, feeling like I still didn't get it, I stacked the papers together and left them on my bed.
Maybe a shower will clear my head.
Standing under the scalding water, loving how it turned me pink and melted the knots in my muscles, I tried to stop thinking about the twaelin entirely.
Hanging my head, thick hair dripping water into the drain, I sighed. It was refreshing, having the droplets rumbling over my skin, the vibrations penetrating like a massage.
Even now, my mind won't turn off. I'm still trying to understand what I'm reading about. Are the twaelin as powerful as Nethiun would have me believe?
Are they as evil as that book seems to claim?
Whoever wrote it, they didn't hide their bias in the pages, that was for sure.
Maybe Fate: A Novel (New Adult Paranormal Romance) Page 9