by A. N. Sage
Peyton and I exchanged glances and I could see the wheels turn in my friend’s head. She pushed the book she was holding to the side and narrowed her eyes on River. “Isn’t your family one of them?” She asked like she didn’t already know the answer.
“Yep. Savannah’s too.”
“So what can you tell us?”
Footsteps pounded in the hallway outside as students trickled in for the day and I was suddenly very aware of the fact that we were not alone in the academy. I checked the doors to make sure they were still shut before turning back to my friends. “Was Grady’s family one?”
In front of me, River’s face grew ashen and he bit his lower lip. He ran his fingers through his tousled hair and sunk deeper into the chair. “Um, yeah. I think.”
“And Lacey’s?” I asked before I could stop myself.
His eyes snapped to mine and I jumped back in my seat. The green in them burnt like fire as his gaze burrowed into me and I couldn’t help but smile his way. Why couldn’t I stop acting like a fool around this guy?
“I think her family has been around for a while, but I don’t know how long. So maybe,” he finally answered. His fingers tapped on the edge of the desk and I got the sense that he didn’t want to talk about this with us. Peyton’s comment back in the Crystal Cauldron drew me in, connecting the dots. River knew Grady, they might have even been friends. It can’t be easy for him to have to talk about it and us quizzing him about Grady’s death was a terrible idea. The last thing I wanted was to upset him but I had to know more. If both Lacey and Grady were from one of the founding families, this could be the connection we were looking for.
Could the witch killing these students be out for revenge?
“Do you think that—”
“Probably just a coincidence,” Peyton interrupted me, forcing the words back in my mouth. “And has nothing to do with our project.”
She fluttered her thick lashes my way and I shifted my weight in the chair, dropping my eyes to the table. Whatever Peyton had in mind, it was something she’d tell me about later and I trusted her to lead this.
“But good call on the archives,” she added. “We’ll check there next.”
The bell rang, jolting my nerves with its sharp tone. We had fifteen minutes left before we had to leave for class. My mind raced with possibilities of who the witch might be and what her business was in Shadowhurst. I wished I could call on the High Coven to help but that would not be the smartest move. I needed to have more to bring to them and Peyton’s hunches would not do the trick. As soon as school was done, I’d have to get Peyton to take me to the archives so I can confirm my suspicions. Somehow, I knew that I was right. The witch was killing students from the founding families. But why?
And who was next?
Agony twisted and turned under my skin as I looked up at River. He was one of those family lines, could he be next? Savannah too but I was a lot less concerned about her. Not that I wanted her dead but if I was being honest, I could see why someone would. My breath quickened just thinking about River being in danger. I had to warn him somehow, I had to keep him safe.
“This quarry party,” I said, “who else is going?”
River leaned in on the table and smiled. “All of us and if you’re worried about Savannah, don’t be. I’ll make sure she plays nice. And I want you to come.”
His eyes met mine again and I turned as red as blood and looked down at my hands. Having River around was distracting me from what I was here to do and I hated it. Not the staring part, that I had no problem with. It was the fact that my stomach turned every time he was near me that had me all twisted up inside. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this nervous around a guy and it was taking me for a loop. He’s just being nice, Billie. As if he could like a little weirdo like you. I grimaced and forced myself to think about the party River invited us to, willing my nerves back to a comfortable level.
The quarry party would give me a chance to get closer to the possible targets without looking like a complete creep. Right. That’s what this is. You’re not just excited to spend more time with him, I recited in my head over and over. I wasn’t looking forward to partying with Savannah but I had to stay near the two of them. If I was right and the witch was targeting the Shadowhurst founding families, they were in more danger than they realized. Maybe if I could stay by their side, I could be there if she tried anything. Then again, maybe I was dead wrong and someone else would get hurt while I was playing bodyguard to a bunch of trust-funders. Either way, it was my only lead so far and I had to follow through.
“Cool,” I breathed out. “We’ll be there.”
“We will?” Peyton gasped.
“Yep.” I nodded and forced myself to look away from River. “It’ll be fun.”
The guest house was so hot that I had to chuck the covers to the floor as I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. My eyes focused on the clock above my dresser and I groaned. It was two-forty in the morning and I was still wide awake. Under normal circumstances, I dropped like a log as soon as my head hit the pillow but that was back in Stamwick where I could use my magic freely and would wipe myself out every night. Here in Shadowhurst where magic use was prohibited to me, I was nothing more than an agitated teenager stuck in a loop of thoughts. Ew. Is this what kids had to deal with all the time? No wonder they had attitude problems!
I let out another loud sigh and got out of bed.
Tightening the belt around my plush robe, I put on a pair of furry slippers and tiptoed through the backyard to the main house. Since I’ve already cleared out all the snacks Imala stocked in my small kitchen, I was fresh out of food and my insomniac stomach was growling louder than a shifter.
I twisted the handle and made my way through the downstairs hallway to the kitchen. Mostly, I tried to stay out of the main house for fear of being an imposition on the Chandlers but right now, my need for snacks took priority.
As I rounded the corner, I noticed the kitchen light on and stopped dead in my tracks. The wood creaked under me and I cringed at the sound. Just ahead, Thomas snapped his gaze to me and smile.
Crap. Too late to turn back now. I returned his smile with my own and scooted into one of the chairs, my elbows banging on the tabletop.
“Can’t sleep, kiddo?” Thomas asked.
“Yeah,” I said, “long day.”
He dunked a knife into the Costco-sized peanut butter jar in front of me and spread the delicious goodness over toasted bread. “This should do the trick,” he said and slid the toast over.
The bread crunched in my mouth and I swallowed so fast I almost forgot to chew. Beside me, Thomas laughed and made himself an identical sandwich. He took one bite and sighed in relief before turning to face me. “If you ever find yourself not sleeping, chances are, I’m over here stuffing my face. You’re welcome to join at any time.”
I smiled, blushing. “Thank you. I didn’t want to bother anyone, but I was starving.”
“You’re not a bother, Billie. We love having you around.”
“Really?”
I was genuinely shocked. No one had ever said they loved being around me and his words knocked me back. Thomas was probably just being polite but the tone of his voice made me think he might have meant it. Super weird.
He laughed again. “Yes, really. Imala especially, I think you remind her of herself when she was your age.”
“So how did you two meet?” I asked. Was that crossing the line? Whatever, I want to know.
“HA!” Thomas exclaimed. “It’s a tale as old as time…”
“Serious?”
His grin widened and he plowed another mouthful of peanut butter toast. “Not at all,” he said between chews, “we met in a lounge. Imala was there for her friend’s bachelorette party and I was out with some boys from the office. But as soon as I saw her, I knew I wanted to marry that woman.”
“No kidding. She’s gorgeous.”
“And smart. Way smarter than me, that’s for certa
in.”
I took a few more bites, swallowing loudly after each chew. “I’m really glad you guys let me stay here.”
“Kiddo, you can stay here as long as you need. Like I said, we love having you around.”
As we sat there in the kitchen in the middle of the night, scarfing down peanut butter sandwiches and talking about pointless things like school and movies we like, I felt my muscles relax. Whatever agitation I had about seeing River and the rest of the students at the quarry tomorrow evaporated and soon, I found myself yawning uncontrollably. Thomas’s own mouth couldn’t stay closed and after a while, we agreed it was time to call it a night, but not before I promised to have breakfast with him and Imala. He seemed so happy that I agreed and surprisingly, I was happy myself. Being around them felt normal somehow. There was no magic talk and no pressure. If this is what it was like to have a family, I was all in.
Riffraff
The sun was high in the sky by the time we pulled the Jeep into the parking lot next to the trail that led to the quarry and I was glad I listened to Peyton and left my token biker jacket at home. Wind clipped at the sliver of flesh of my exposed waist where my loose tee barely reached my cut-offs. Beside me, Peyton awkwardly tucked and re-tucked her tank top into her jeans.
“This will definitely not be fun,” she announced as we looked down the trail to the small beach below.
“Hey, you’re the one that wanted to be buddies with them!” I said and nudged my elbow into her ribs. “So let’s go.”
She rolled her eyes and followed me down the trail, huffing, and puffing the entire way.
The quarry River told us to meet them in was beautiful and I couldn’t help but giggle with each step we took toward it. The water was the brightest shade of aquamarine I’ve ever seen and reminded me of the photos I used to scroll through online while planning out a dream vacation. We stomped down the stone-covered trail, my boots catching on loose rocks every so often. I should have worn sandals but the idea of being even more exposed than I already was made me queasy. Besides, if we had to hightail it out of here, I’d rather have my boots on than some fashion-friendly lace-ups.
When we reached the bottom, my jaw slacked. Around us, encasing the quarry from all sides, stood a large ravine. The rock looked like it was carved out, framing the water in its hold. I could feel the energy of this place tug at me and, without surprise, my magic could too. The air, the water, and the lush trees pulled me in. Even the sand under my feet had power, it seemed, and I could already feel myself getting stronger just by standing in it. The stupid and debilitating lights that showed up each time like a warning bell blurred my vision and I closed my eyes, praying I don’t fall over.
Peyton rustled beside me, her eyes scanning the crowd of teenagers on the beach.
“Ready?” She asked.
I nodded and pulled her toward them.
There were at least twenty people there; most of them split off into smaller groups. I noticed a group of girls in revealing bikinis tanning on beach towels at the far end and scowled. Why didn’t I wear a bathing suit again?
I hiked up my top to sit higher on my waist and let the warmth of the sun spread through me. Stamwick was always cold and rainy and I had almost forgotten how amazing it felt to be out in the sun like this. Beads of sweat ran down my neck and I had to toss my hair into a messy bun above my head to keep it off my shoulders.
There was a loud thud to our left and both Peyton and I turned to a group of teens tossing a frisbee around. My eyes spotted Jayden on the ground, the frisbee locked in his teeth.
“Told you I’d get it!” He yelled before jumping to his feet. His eyes landed on me and Peyton and he waved us over. “New kid! Welcome to the party!”
As soon as Jayden yelled, all eyes were on us. I could see the confusion roll off everyone in the quarry as they tried to understand why the two of us were there. This was a mistake, I thought, and turned to leave when a powerful hand grasped my shoulder.
I swung around, ready to clock whoever it was that thought they could lay a hand on me without getting a fistful of my knuckles in their teeth. When I turned, my body vibrated and a low moan crept up in my throat.
“You made it!” River exclaimed, his hand still resting on my shoulder.
My eyes flowed over him and it took everything I had not to say what I was thinking. Which was difficult at best because all I could think of was Goddess help me, over and over.
River’s bare chest glistened in the sunlight, drawing my attention from his pecks down to the sculpted V at his waist. My eyes lowered, following its direction, and landed on the palm trees that decorated his swimming shorts. This guy was set on killing me with his hotness. I shook my head and met his stare, taking a wider stance in case I passed out from the view.
“Yep,” I choked out, “we said we would.”
“Awesome! Come meet everyone.”
In my peripheral, I could see Peyton whisper something under her breath and I knew that it was directed at River’s muscled body. My friend’s face lit up and she followed him to the edge of the water where a large towel spread out over the sand. On it was a cooler full of ice with beer cans crammed in and an epic array of snacks. My mouth salivated at the overflowing bowl of chips and I bent down to pick up a handful, eager to stuff my face. Better a mouth full of chips than a wagging tongue.
River chuckled beside me before grabbing a few for himself and sitting down cross-legged on the towel. “Glad you two came,” he said, gesturing for me to sit next to him.
Hesitantly, I lowered down, pulling Peyton with me.
“This place is beautiful,” I said and swallowed the last of the chips. “We don’t have this back home.”
“Shadowhurst has its upsides.”
“When people aren’t getting killed!” Peyton blurted out and smiled sheepishly.
“Right…”
His gaze darkened and I scooted on the towel until I was face to face with him. River’s scent threw me for a loop but I kept my eyes on his despite the constant tugging at the back of my mind telling me to look away. “I’m sorry about your friend. Peyton said you knew Grady?”
“Uh-huh.” River’s eyes brightened a bit but I could still the hurt on his face clear as day. “Since we were kids. He was a great guy. One of those people you could always count on to do the right thing, you know?”
I really, really did. After Beatrix, my limit for bullshit was quite low and if anyone I met even seemed like they were up to no good, I usually hit the road before I got too close to someone else that thought rules didn’t apply to them. Except for that college guy but in my defense, I was too busy checking out his other assets to pay attention to the pea-sized brain he sported under all that hair gel.
“I can’t imagine what that was like for you,” I whispered. Next to me, Peyton busied herself with watching a few kids play volleyball not far from us so I knew she wouldn’t be blurting out any more nonsense that hurt River’s feelings. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
River rubbed the back of his neck and forced a smile. “Thanks. I try not to think about it but you know how it goes. The things you try not to think about are usually the ones that bite you in the ass so hard you get whiplash.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
“So how’s Shadowhurst treating you so far?”
“It’s not bad,” I said with less enthusiasm than I was hoping to convey. “It’s weird to be somewhere everyone knows each other. In Stamwick, people are so obsessed with their own lives that getting to know your neighbors is out of the question.”
“Ha!” River laughed. “It’s definitely a trip here. Just don’t do anything stupid or you know the whole town will know about it before lunch.”
“Noted.” I reached for another fistful of chips and was about to bite down on one when sand splashed over my hand.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Savannah screeched as she towered over me and Peyton. “You brought the Riffraff?!?”
Her
high-cut blue bikini was encrusted with gemstones and burnt into my peripheral as she cocked her hips to the side. If looks could kill, I’d be dead already.
“It’s a public beach,” I scoffed.
“It’s our beach!” She yelled out, kicking more sand into my hand.
In seconds, I was on my feet. My face leveled with her icy glare and my hands at my waist. I took a deep breath in to keep myself from punching her lights out though a large part of me wanted to do nothing else but that. “You need to get over yourself,” I hissed.
“River, are you for real?”
Before he could answer and before I could stop myself, I pulled on her shoulder and swung her back around to face me. “Didn’t your mother teach you it’s rude to turn your back on people?”
Savannah’s lips curled into a sneer and she pushed me back. Her eyes burnt into me and she took a step forward until she was so close I could feel her minty breath on my cheek.
“Go home, new kid,” she hissed.
“Or what?”
“Or you’ll regret it.”
She was so quick that I had no time to register what happened. One second, Savannah was ruffling her feathers to get a rise out of me, and the next, her fingers were curled around the amethyst pendant on my neck. She snatched at the chain, ripping it off. The back of my neck burned from the friction and I gasped, stumbling back from her.
“Give that back!” I yelled.
Savannah shot me a vicious smile. “Go and get it,” she growled and tossed my pendant into the water.
“What in the actual hell, Savannah?” River roared and jumped to stand. He pushed past her and ran into the water for my pendant and I followed him in, cursing under my breath.
Behind us, Savannah cackled and said something else obnoxious and rude but her words never reached me. Tears burnt behind my lids and they filled me with so much rage that I could see the hair on my arms stand on end. The water hit my calves, cool and heavy, as I waded through the water to where River was digging the surface. My boots were soaked and I knew I would regret not taking them off before jumping in but wet leather was the least of my worries right now. I knelt beside him, burrowing my hands into the wet sand below.