Shadow Seeker (A Crow Haven Series Book 1)

by Michelle Areaux

  A few people around us glanced our way and I felt their stares on me. At first, I assumed they were looking at me-- the new girl, but upon further watching, it was clear it wasn’t me they were looking at. It was Maylee and Ace.

  Sipping her tea, Maylee noticed me glancing around at the other patrons. Waving her hand, she gave them all a nasty smirk before turning back to me. “Don’t worry about them. They all think we are weird,” Maylee laughed.

  Her words struck me as odd. Maylee seemed perfectly normal, why would anyone think she is weird? Now Ace, I could totally understand him. He was brooding and menacing looking and his car could be heard from miles away.

  “Why are they staring at us?” I asked, leaning in and lowering my voice.

  Not picking up on my que, Maylee continued to talk loudly. “Ace and I live with our older cousins. People think we are strange because we moved into town a few years ago and have always kept to ourselves. I guess in small towns, people want to get to know everyone.” She shrugged as she bit into her sandwich.

  I understood where she was coming from, but there was still a question on my mind. “Where are your parents?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t being too intrusive.

  “They died a few years ago,” Maylee said, her cheerful demeanor dimming.

  I didn’t ask her any more questions. It was clear this was a sensitive topic that she didn’t want to discuss.

  Ace gave Maylee a knowing look and they both smiled a little, sharing a secret moment only two siblings who had experienced loss would understand.

  “So, I was thinking of exploring more parts of town,” I stated, trying to break the now awkward silence.

  “Make sure to bring someone with you,” Ace stated, his eyes staring outside.

  I almost laughed at this. Nicholasville seemed like the safest little town ever. I hardly expected to find any trouble around here. “I think I will be fine. I lived in a big city, I can protect myself,” I replied.

  And, it was true. My parents had put me in self=defense classes at a young age. My mom was always on edge and never allowed me to go anywhere without my pepper spray and knowledge of how to fight off a bad guy-- or bad spirit in her case.

  “Don’t let the charm of this town fool you. There is danger lurking everywhere, even right here in small town USA,” Ace growled out, winking.

  Maylee gasped and gave him a strange glance as I just stared at him. Was he being serious?

  We finished eating and then Ace stood up, signaling to us he was ready to leave.

  We drove back to my house in silence, only the low rumble of the radio filling the space. When they dropped me off, Maylee waved and promised to see me soon.

  As they drove away, I couldn’t help but wonder what was so dangerous about this place. As luck would have it, I knew that in my life, nothing was out of the realm of possibilities.

  Chapter Four

  Grave News

  L

  izzie, are you home?”

  I heard my name being called from outside my bedroom window. It was a nice afternoon and I had opened my windows to expel some of the chemicals my mom had been spraying as she cleaned the house. Walking to my window, I leaned out and smiled as I saw Maylee standing on my driveway.

  “Hey,” I called out, waving to her.

  Seeing me, a smile beamed across her face. “Hey, want to hang out?” she asked.

  “Sure,” I responded. ”Give me a minute to get down there,” I said, before turning and giving myself a quick glance in the mirror.

  Back in Salem, I had a few friends, but I never found myself getting close to very many people. The secrets that lurked in my life always made me nervous to let people in. Possibly, it was my mom's fault. Like me, she had been a bit of a loner until she met my dad and Aunt Lucy.

  With a pair of cut-off jean shorts on and a white tank top, I bound down the stairs. My mom was mopping the kitchen and my dad was sitting in the living room, his laptop resting on his lap.

  “Hey, where are you heading?” he asked, briefly glancing up at me from his screen.

  “Maylee is outside. I guess we are going to hang out,” I answered, shrugging my shoulders.

  He stifled a laugh as he nodded his head. “Well, have fun,” he said. I guess it was strange for him, too, to see me making friends.

  Walking outside, a nice breeze rustled the tree branches lining our property. For a July afternoon, it wasn’t too hot outside.

  Maylee looked glamorous as always in a pair of tan, khaki shorts and a light pink halter top. Her jewel studded sandals gave her a modest, yet sophisticated look. I, on the other hand, looked like I was the before picture from one of those styling shows.

  “So, I was thinking that I never got a chance to get your number. I don’t have too many friends around here, so it would be nice to have someone new to hang out with,” she said, her voice sounding tiny and unsure.

  For someone so beautiful, she sure didn’t have a lot of confidence.

  “That would be great. To be honest, I didn’t have a lot of friends back home either.”

  We exchanged numbers and then stood there for a moment in awkward silence. Finally, Maylee spoke up. “I haven’t shown you around Nicholasville yet. Want a tour?” she asked.

  “That would be great,” I exclaimed.

  “Great. Let me run home and get my car,” she said, turning on her heel to leave.

  I started to follow her, but she spun around and stopped me. “Maybe you should wait here,” she said, her eyes glancing back toward her house.

  I stopped, a feeling of unease suddenly washing over me. Maybe she was just a private person, but she almost seemed fearful for me to follow her to her house. Not wanting to pry too much into it, I just nodded. “Ok, I will wait right here.”

  In no time, I heard a car heading my way. To my surprise, a red BMW pulled into my driveway. I wasn’t expecting that.

  As she pulled to a stop in front of me, I smiled as I got into the all leather interior. “Wow, your car is really nice,” I stated.

  Maylee smiled as I closed the door. “I know, right!”

  Just like her brother, she sped off toward the road, leaving me with whip-lash as I held on for dear life.

  We began to drive and as I sat back, enjoying the beautiful scenery around me, Maylee began pointing out certain landmarks as she pretended to be a tour guide.

  I was in awe of the charm, but also curious about my new friend.

  The next morning, I found myself helping my mom unpack the rest of the kitchen items. We turned up the music on her Pandora station and danced around as we worked. Dad had been busy outside, cleaning up the landscaping and mowing the front yard.

  Even though the house was air conditioned, the scorching heat from the afternoon summer heat still warmed my body.

  Deciding to take a break, my mom fanned herself as she sat down at the kitchen table and poured us both a glass of lemonade.

  “So, how was lunch out with your new friends?” mom asked, as she sipped the delicious treat.

  “It was ok. Maylee is really nice, but her brother, Ace, is odd,” I remarked.

  “Odd?” mom questioned, raising her eyes at me.

  I guess I needed to clarify. As someone who talked to the dead, odd could have multiple meanings.

  “He doesn’t talk a lot and when he does, he seems to be angry,” I said. “He has these weird mood swings,” I added, rolling my eyes.

  Nodding her head, mom just smiled. “He’s a teenage boy. That’s how they usually are.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” I replied. “They told me they live with their cousins; their parents passed away a few years ago. But, when we were at the diner, people were looking at them strangely.”

  “How so?” mom asked.

  “I don’t know how to explain it really. Everyone seemed nervous around them,” I stated, shrugging my shoulders. To be honest, it was weirdly strange that I wasn’t the one people were gawking at.

  “Well, don’t let others'
opinions influence how you feel about them. Maylee sounds nice and since her brother drove you both, he can’t be too bad,” mom finished.

  I guess she was right. I would just have to give Ace another chance.

  “How about tomorrow, we head into Lexington and go shopping at the mall? We can buy you some school clothes,” mom offered. “You only have a week left until you begin your sophomore year,” she said, her eyes tearing up a bit.

  “Sure, sounds great!” I added.

  We sat for a few minutes more, before getting back to our task. By the time evening rolled around, I was ready for a nice break.

  After dinner, I decided I wanted to go for a walk. Back in Salem, I would run along the streets in my neighborhood, the large trees shielding me from the sun. While it could get hot in Massachusetts, the weather was not as humid as it was here in Kentucky.

  Leaving my house, I began walking along the tree covered road outside of our house. It was quiet here; only the sounds of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves keeping me company. As I walked, I kicked tiny pebbles lining the roadway.

  Suddenly, I began to hear a chatter of voices as I came to the edge of the one lane road. On the corner of the main road sat a large red brick house. Peering through the trees, I spotted a group of girls around my age. They were sitting in a group along a patio, bikini clad as they worked on their summer tans.

  I wasn’t sure if I should turn around or not. Other than Maylee and Ace, I hadn’t met anyone else in town, but I also didn’t want to seem like a stalker walking up on them, either.

  One of the girls noticed me and all four of their heads shot my way. Gulping down my own fear, I realized I didn’t want to seem lame and runaway. I would see them again at school, I was sure.

  I waved, feeling like a complete dork.

  “Hey,” a blonde called out to me.

  “Hi,” I said, stopping and standing in the middle of the road.

  “Come over,” a girl with bright red hair announced.

  Sighing, I realized if I didn’t oblige, I could go ahead and mark myself as a loser at school.

  I walked through the trees and into a well manicured lawn. The girls looked more like super models than teens as they sat watching me approach.

  “Hey, you are the new girl,” the blonde said, smiling.

  I stopped on the patio and tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. I suddenly was aware that I looked like a hot mess compared to these girls.

  “Yes, I’m Lizzy. My family just moved here,” I say.

  The girls share knowing glances and I can tell that my arrival was the talk of the town. I just don’t understand why.

  “Is it true that your family is from Salem?” the redhead asks.

  “Yep,” I say, popping the p.

  “We are so rude. I’m Talia,” the blonde began. “This is Bonnie,” Talia said, pointing to the red head. “That’s Kate with the short hair that makes her look like a fairy, and the girl with the wavy brown hair is Amy,” Talia finishes.

  The girls all wave at me and I awkwardly wave back.

  “So, you will be going to East High School with us, right?” Bonnie asks me.

  “Yeah, I guess we all start next Monday,” I say.

  “You will have to meet up with us. I’d hate for you to feel lost since you don’t know anyone here,” Talia says.

  It's hard to tell if she is being kind or snarky. Girls haven’t always been kind to me, so I have a hard time deciding what to make of this group.

  “I met Maylee and Ace. They seem really nice, well at least Maylee does,” I say, slightly chuckling.

  The girls all gasped and their mouths fell open in shock.

  Talia sits up straight like she is about to jump off the patio. “No, Lizzy. That family is strange. They all live on this big compound together and no one has ever seen their house. They don’t really hang out with other kids around here,” she almost yelled. “Besides, Maylee drives around in expensive cars like she is better than the rest of us and Ace has major anger issues. I once saw him throw a guy across a classroom with no effort,” she finished, her eyes glowing wild with intensity.

  For some odd reason, her reaction made me angry. Sure, Maylee and Ace might be a little odd, but Maylee had been kind to me. And for Ace… well, I hadn’t figured him out yet.

  Shrugging my shoulders, I decided I didn’t want Talia to think I was going to believe the gossip she was spreading. “Well, they were nice to me,” I say.

  “Yeah, but their family is really weird. Like, odd,” Amy says, glancing around like she’s worried someone else will hear her.

  “What does their family do?” I ask.

  Maybe they have some strange job that makes them appear odd.

  “Their uncle is this rich guy who buys all of the real estate around town. Practically everything in this town is owned by him, but no one really ever sees him. His lawyers do all of his business interactions for him. It’s just strange,” she finished.

  It was more than obvious that these girls were the ‘mean girls’ of the town. Just the way they looked at me like I was beneath them, then how they gossiped about Maylee and Ace’s family-- it all gave me an uneasy feeling.

  “Well, I need to get home,” I say, taking a step back.

  “Alright, it was nice meeting you,” Talia says, her voice overy perky. Her friends all wave in unison and I can tell that Talia is the leader of that group.

  I have to hold in my laughter as I walk away.

  Maybe Maylee and Ace were different, but from what I have learned, odd is definitely more interesting.

  Chapter Five

  Lesson Learned

  T

  he next week flew by like a blur.

  Mom and I went into Lexington to shop and bought more clothes than I needed for my upcoming school year.

  The house was slowly starting to feel like home, but I was a little bummed that I hadn’t seen Maylee again. Or, Ace.

  I stayed clear from Talia’s house and just kept myself busy around the house. Soon enough, I would have to explore more of the town, but for right now, I was just trying to feel content at home. And...I hadn’t seen any shadows in days. I should have been relieved, but strangely enough, I felt a bit off.

  The night before my first day of school, I found myself a nervous wreck. I had rummaged through all of my new clothes and modeled a million outfits before finally selecting a pair of torn jeans, a black fitted t-shirt, and my favorite red Converse sneakers.

  Now, I found myself sitting out on the front porch, a slight breeze keeping the evening heat at bay. A loud squawk sounded from the trees just beyond my driveway, and my eyes began searching for the culprit. One thing I had noticed about this place was that Crows seemed to always be around. It was strange, really.

  The sound of footsteps on gravel caught my attention. A loud squawk startled me as I searched through the fading light for the source of the footsteps. Instantly, my eyes wandered up to the trees where a Crow sat perched on a large tree branch stretching out over my house. The same glowing yellow eyes seemed to mesmerize me, freezing me in place. I stood and moved closer to the edge of the porch. As I looked over the porch railing, I suddenly spotted Maylee heading my way. The sun had already set and now fireflies danced in the dark night, making her light up with a spotlight.

  “Hey,” she greeted me.

  “Hi,” I said, waving as I stood up from the porch swing.

  “I know it’s late, but I wanted to see if you needed a ride to school tomorrow,” Maylee asked.

  Her eyes seemed to glow a golden yellow and I found myself mesmerized by them.

  “I have a car, but it would be nice to have someone to ride with,” I say.

  My eyes traveled over to where my small vehicle sat in the parking lot. The Honda Civic my dad had driven in college had been passed down to me. It wasn’t anything fancy and probably needed new brakes. I rarely drove.

  Being the new girl was going to suck, but at least I had o
ne friend here to make the first day bearable.

  “Great, I’ll let Ace know,” Maylee said, turning on her heel to leave.

  The Crow who had been strangely watching our exchange let out a loud yell and this time, both Maylee and I looked up. To my surprise, Maylee narrowed her eyes and huffed, placing her hands on her hips as though she was angry with the bird.

  Intrigued and a little startled, I watched her anger at the bird. Spreading its wings, the Crow stood tall before leaping off the branch and soaring into the sky. Once the Crow was out of sight, Maylee’s tension seemed to disappear and her bubbly smile reappeared.

  “Well, I need to get home,” she said, turning on her heel to leave.

  “Wait,” I said, jumping from the porch and making my way toward her. I wanted to ask her about the strange stare off she had just had with the wild Crow that seemed to live near my house; but instead, I asked about Ace. “Is Ace driving?”

  For some reason, Ace incited new emotions in me that I wasn’t ready to deal with just yet. He seemed so moody and rude, but at the same time, he intrigued me.

  “Of course, Ace always drives us,” Maylee said. Suddenly, her smile faded and she looked nervous. “Is that a problem? I know Ace hasn’t been the most welcoming, but he’s really nice once you get to know him,” she rushed out.

  I hated that I was making Maylee feel bad. Here she had come over here to be kind and offer to take me to school, and I was making a big deal out of Ace driving.

  “No, it’s not a problem at all. I really appreciate the offer,” I say, waving my hands to let her know it’s not a big deal.

  Maylee seems to relax and her smile returns. “Ok, great. I will see you at eight,” she announces, smiling and bounding down the driveway.

  I stand there for a few minutes, watching her leave. The Crow I had heard earlier, takes this opportunity to depart from the trees and soars through the sky. I pause my movements and watch him with a strange curiosity. His head turns and the yellow glow of his eyes seems familiar. I can barely make out his form since the coal black feathers almost match the darkness of the night. But, he is there. And, if I were being honest, it seemed as though he were following Maylee home.