But with the thought, I came down with no direction or ability to break my fall, sending Liam finally on his way as I almost came down on him.
I crumpled onto the ground… no, into waiting arms instead. My eyes blinking up at the night sky full of blinking stars. "I ... " I couldn't handle it, my vision closing in on me as my blood pressure plummeted.
16
Hero
Desmond
I threw my half smoked cigarette to the ground and took off in a run. I hated being locked up in my dorm at night because it was full of screaming, squelching, partying madmen. The reputation of my house was rather accurate. It was a house created as an afterthought as those elite immortals and other creatures of legend were hand-picked by the headmaster and put as a part of Champion Hall. They were his eyes and ears. They were never meant to be segregated in a dark corner of the campus, off limits to most other students because of the danger we posed them.
It looked like to me the current residents of Champion Hall did more harm to students than we did.
I smelled her when she came out and heard them talking about her, but I had wanted to give her a chance to de-escalate before I simply stepped in and played the hero again. I didn't want to look like her own personal stalker or her knight in shining armor either. Most modern women hated the idea - were offended by it, even. I didn't agree with women being lesser slaves to men, but we did have different jobs. Coming to the rescue would be mine.
I had to step in now; they were getting too aggressive. I didn't know how the staff could continue to let these outbursts take place, but I was tempted to walk in there myself first thing in the morning and demand some expulsions take place.
What I didn't expect to see as I came up from behind was Anastasia lifted up several feet into the air. I could hear her panicked breaths as the boys all ran away and knew she hadn't meant to do it.
I stayed in the shadows, wondering if she could get control of herself and maybe even go after them for how they were treating her, but instead, she weakened, her body coming down fast. Her body landed in my arms in a crumpled mass. I turned her to cradle her just as she fainted. The discovery of this new power had been too much for her, and I wondered how many more times she would have to go through something like that. I sensed that she was much more than a run of the mill clairvoyant medium, even if that in and of itself was a rarity.
I carried her all the way back to Chief Hall, finding her dorm based upon the scent. The room smelled like her, and I was lucky enough that she still had the key to the room on her when I picked her up.
I laid her down on the bed and stood over her, just watching her have a dreamless rest. I didn't know if I should just leave her there and go, or if it would be better for her if I at least waited for her to come to. For all I knew she wouldn't remember a thing, and she would have so many questions about what had happened to her.
I opted for standing in the corner, becoming a fixture in her room until she needed me. It didn't take long for her to wake up, though. She had just given herself a shock.
"Wha - What happened?" She sat up and looked at me, her hair matted from how she laid.. She didn't scream or wonder why I was in her room, only that she was waking up from something that wasn't normal sleep.
"You got in an argument with some Champion Hall boys after taking it upon yourself to wander around the grounds in the dead of night," I told her, peeling myself off the wall. I stood over her awkwardly, not wanting to wear out my welcome by making myself at home on her bed.
"Did I ... Did I fly?" she asked.
I felt my dimples dig into the sides of my mouth as I stifled a laugh. "No, levitation is not the same as flying, but you scared them away. And then you fainted."
She threw herself back onto her bed with a groan. "I am never going to get used to this supernatural thing ... or the fact that apparently I killed someone."
"You know you didn't kill someone," I told her with a scoff.
"How do you know I didn't kill hm?" she snapped at me, sitting up and bringing her knees up to her chest. She looked almost like she believed she could have done it in her sleep.
I started laughing, sitting on the edge of the bed and no longer caring about an invitation or lack thereof. "Maybe the reason I know you didn't do it is because I did it."
For one hot minute, she looked up at me like she believed it before cracking a soft smile. "Nah, you didn't do it either."
"You're looking much better now with some color in your cheeks. I'll see you around, okay?" I stood up, but faster than I thought she could move, she shocked me by wrapping her hand around my cold wrist. I turned to her, afraid of what I might give away in my expression.
"Please, my best friend is mad at me, and I feel alone. I am scared ... of myself. I understand if you say no, but I want you to stay with me, if you can." She choked out the last words, and I didn't know how I could say no.
So, I said, "Scoot over." My voice was husky ... unsure, not like the sound I had come to intimately know in my head after over two centuries of existing. She made room for me on the bed, propped up and leaning to one side on the wall. I never thought I would be this close to anyone, much less someone like her. I knew I didn't deserve it, but I did what any other undeserving schmuck would have - accepted the offer.
The night in her room was silent as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep right there next to me. I didn't dare move and disturb her because she looked so peaceful. Peace was not something I was used to, and I didn't think she would have much of it if events kept barreling us toward a destiny neither of us had the ability to stop.
Only to join and survive the best we could.
My phone buzzed, and I reached in my pocket with my left hand so see I had a message from an unknown number. Not that I didn't know who it was. Well, I didn't know the person's name, but it was a member of the Circle. Archie had warned me they would be in contact with me now. I just didn't expect it to be so soon.
We've heard whisperings there has been a development. Would you happen to have any useful information for us?
This was so not the time.
I looked over at Anastasia with her eyes closed, oblivious to the plot around her and the fact that she was being watched, and not just by me.
With a sigh, I had to respond.
I do. I will meet you tomorrow night.
17
Reveal Me
Anastasia
I woke up to the incessant ringing of the phone in my room - something that had yet to happen since I came to school. I called my parents twice to give them an update. Not that I had told them the truth about my classes or anything else here. I didn't like the lies, but I also didn't know how they would take it. My parents were both Christians and practical people, the thought of them believing in any kind of magic was ridiculous.
I had to lean over Desmond to reach the phone, almost out of reach, and falling back, I landed with a hand on his chest, his eyes looking down on me. I guess vampires didn't need to sleep. That, or he had stayed up all night to watch over me and make sure I didn't levitate right up to the ceiling. The embarrassment of asking him to stay with me the way I had, hit me like a ton of bricks at the same time I was trying to sound like I did not have a boy in my room when I answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Miss Perez, this is Ms. Aberdeen. I am sorry to bother you so early in the morning, especially on the weekend, but you have an urgent visitor in the office."
There was an edge to her voice that wasn't typical, and I didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean by urgent visitor?”
"It's your mother."
My eyes went wide, going in and out of focus as I tried to reconcile the idea of my normal, anxiety-ridden mother on a campus full of people with supernatural powers. What if she saw something? Why didn't I get a warning that she would be here?
"Miss Perez?" I had been silent for too long, and now she was worried I had hung up.
"Sorry. I will
be down in a moment."
I got up and immediately ran a brush through my hair, wondering what to expect from her. I hadn't prepared for seeing her here, ever, and I didn't know if I was ready to explain any weird things she saw. I may never be ready.
"I will take that as my cue to leave. I don't think you want to explain to your mother why I am here if you end up bringing her to your room."
"Sorry, Desmond. I thought I would get a chance to thank you for last night but ..."
He put his hands up in the air as he headed for the door. "Don't worry about it. It sounds like you have bigger things to worry about. Just, be careful around the other students today." If I didn't know any better, I would think Desmond Grey was actually worried about me and wasn’t just some antihero that kept conveniently showing up when I needed him.
"I will. I intend to figure this out and spend the rest of the weekend in my room. There is too much crazy out there. No offense."
He chuckled darkly. "None taken."
I joined him out the door, locking it behind me. I didn't bother changing from my maxi dress as there was no one other than the boy leaving my room to impress, and either he didn't care or didn't notice. It was too late either way.
I made my way to the office with no idea what to expect. What could have brought her here all of a sudden? Had something happened to Papa? No, I couldn't think that way. That couldn’t be it. But then why had she come all the way up here instead of just calling?
I tried to remain neutral as I walked into the office. Ms. Aberdeen was waiting for me, but no Mama. “Where is she?” I asked, and Ms. Aberdeen had me sit down in front of her desk, her voice barely above a whisper.
“We have her in Principal Brown’s office right now. You should know that because of the law, we had to send a note out to parents about Brady’s death. It was very vague, but the state requires that we notify the parents. She does not seem happy about it.”
I shook my head. No, Mama wouldn't be happy about it, and in fact, that had to be the understatement of the century. My mother was a type A through and through. She was probably pitching a fit. How was I going to explain to her that I hadn’t mentioned the death of a student and that I was okay?
“Thank you. I’ll handle it.”
I walked into the office and shut the door, glad when I saw Principal brown was actually not there. It was just the two of us.
“Ana, thank god. You need to go pack your things right now. We are leaving. In fact, I’ll go with you.” She had been pacing and moved to go out the door, but I blocked it. I didn't know yet how I was going to talk my way out of this, but I wasn’t leaving the academy, not now that I knew I could hurt someone if I didn't learn to control myself. I could hurt my own parents.
“Mama, there is no need to be like this. The campus is safe. Have you not seen the wall all the way around it?” I reasoned.
“A student doesn’t just die, Ana, and I can't believe you didn't tell me. Why didn't you call me and tell me? It means you’re hiding things again, and the last time that happened…”
“I almost died,” I finished for her. “I know that, which is why I am focusing on my studies. I haven't done anything wrong, Mama. There was nothing to tell. For all we know, that kid died from an accident or some self-afflicted problem. I am sure his family just wants to keep the cause private while they grieve. But I am in a locked dorm room by myself. I have friends to walk around campus with if I need to. The staff is always around.”
“I am sorry, but that's not good enough. I almost lost you once already, Ana. Nothing is worth going through that again.” She was determined, trying to push past me to get to the door. My panic was rising, and I knew that meant she could be in danger from me. I still didn't know what it was I could do other than see the dead and now levitate, but I wasn’t willing to get upset enough to find out. That meant I couldn't go home with her. I had to learn to be what I was now.
I looked at her as my head began to throb and flattened myself painfully against the doorknob. Instead of the mixes of reds and purples she had pulsed in the hospital, my mother was now mostly surrounded in red and orange. Maybe this was a manifestation of her worry. It was going to take something drastic to get her to understand that I had to stay, and the only drastic thing I could think of to convince her was the truth.
“Mama, stop!” I told her, stopping her in her tracks. I had never yelled at her before, barely ever fought with her about anything. I had been the perfect teenager before I ended up at the Mexico border with Michael. But I wasn't that girl anymore, something I had yet to acknowledge until now.
“This is not like you, Anastasia.”
I knew she was upset when she used my full name, but I had to keep pressing so she would pay attention. “You have to understand why I am here, why I have to stay here. It isn't just about a scholarship or a chance to get into a good college without having to spend a lot of money. There's something about me, about the accident, that you don't know. That I didn't really know until I came here. And it’s the reason you have to let me stay. You have to promise to listen to me before you make a final decision.”
“I don't understand.”
“Can you listen?” I asked her again, and she nodded. “Then, sit down.”
I had very little experience using my powers on demand, and none of them had been dramatic enough to show her, none other than the one that scared me the most. I didn't want to faint in front of her because she would never let me stay after that, but I had to try.
I concentrated on my emotions; my fear, my desperation, I condensed them into a motion. I imagined myself hovering above the ground but not high enough to touch the ceiling.
“What are you doing? What is this?” My mother looked frightened as my feet hovered inches above the floor. Feeling the limits of the use of this power, I let myself drop back down before I passed out again. I had done it.
“I just levitated, and that is not the only thing I can do. It is just the easiest to show you. I died in the accident, Mama. I watched it happen. They must have told you the paramedics had to revive me on the scene. And I watched it all from above. Now, I am something else. Apparently, when you come back from the dead, you are given gifts. That is what Blackwell is about.”
I looked at her, begging her with my eyes to say something. I didn't know what to do if she didn't believe me, or worse, if she hated me now that I was something else. She probably never thought her little girl would be doing what probably looked like witchcraft to her. She said nothing, and I sat down in the chair next to her, waiting for her to process this.
“Mama, say something. I have to be here because they can teach me to control it and use it for good. Otherwise, I could hurt you, and it hurts. It gives me a migraine. Please, you have to understand…”
“I am sorry, Ana, but I don't understand. I don't understand how this could happen. This would change everything I knew about the world.” She looked at her hands, and I reached out to grab one and hold it.
“I know. It has changed everything for me too.”
“I can't deny what I have seen before my eyes, but I don't know what to think about this school. If there are others here like you and someone has died, it could be dangerous.”
I sighed. “That boy wasn't liked by a lot of people. I would hate to think someone killed him out of hatred or self-defense, but it is possible. He was known for treating girls very badly. I don't think it has anything to do with me other than that it happened right after I got here. Nothing else but coincidence,” I assured her even though I didn't know for sure.
“I need you to explain this to me,” she told me.
I led her into the office with Ms. Aberdeen and had her help me get my mother up to speed on the whole dying and coming back with powers thing. We were in there for hours, and by the time my mother was hugging me goodbye, I could feel that we were both emotionally drained. I didn't know what would come for our relationship or what she would say to my father, but I had to le
t her go home and process it.
Silent tears fell down my cheeks as I went back into my dorm. I had every intention of curling up and wallowing in my pain, but a knock almost instantly came at the door. I was surprised to see that it was Charlotte.
“What are you doing here?” I asked a little too harshly.
“First, I am an empath. I should have told you sooner, but I can feel when you have negative emotions. The closer I am to someone emotionally, the more I can feel them. That's why I always show up when you are sad or scared. Last night, I was going to find out what was wrong. When I heard that you had been seeing so much of Desmond behind my back, I felt like maybe we weren't the friends I thought we were.”
I wanted to speak up, but she kept going, putting her hand up to stop me. “I realize I was wrong in the way I was being so judgmental. Of course, you didn't think you could come to me and tell me. So, I am sorry and came to see if you’re okay, which clearly, you’re not.”
I didn't have the energy to stay mad as she sat on the bed next to me. Instead, I spilled the beans about my mother, crying full stop over it like a baby. I was just so afraid my entire image was ruined in my mother’s eyes.
“Hopefully, your mother will come around, but I understand. See, my mother and I both have gifts. I got my gift at birth because we both died and were brought back while she was giving birth. We tried to hide it from my father for years, but it is hard to do, especially when you are a child. When he found out, he cut and run on us. He thought we were freaks.”
“Oh my god, I am so sorry, Charlotte. That's awful.”
“I am over it, but at the time it was the end of the world for me. But, hey, let's not dwell on that. We have no control over it. I want to know everything about you and bad boy.”
Charlotte wiggled her eyebrows at me, and I had to laugh as the motion made her glasses wiggle with them.
I didn't get a chance to tell her a thing, though, as a scream echoed down the halls. Both of us ran to the door to look out and see what was happening.
Almost Dead (Blackwell Academy Book 1) Page 8