Wicked Secrets

by H G Lynch

  Sherry stretched out her legs, testing them, and nodded. “My head is pounding and everything hurts,” she whimpered. Then she sucked in a shaky breath and nodded. “But I can walk.”

  Ember nodded. “Okay, good. Any idea how we got here? I was knocked out and dragged here so I haven’t a clue. Can’t be too far from school though.” Ember touched the back of her head absently, where she’d been whacked and knocked out. It didn’t hurt anymore, thanks to her super-quick healing, but her hair was caked in blood and mud. She felt disgusting, and the first thing on her to-do list, after getting back to school, was to take a long, hot bath.

  Sherry sighed, tugging her fingers through her own gnarled hair and scowling when her fingers got tangled. “Well,” she said, “I was blindfolded some of the way. That’s how I ended up all scratched. They didn’t lead me much, so I bumped into trees a lot. And I was unconscious some of the time too.” Sherry’s voice wavered but she blinked back the tears and pointed to the left edge of the clearing. “I remember we came in that way though. I could see the tent right there…” Sherry turned to point at the tent that was just ash now. Then she blinked and a look that was part awe and part fear passed over her features. “Huh. You did a good job with that fire. How did you do that anyway?”

  Uncomfortable, Ember shrugged. “I don’t know. It just sort of came to me. But I hope it doesn’t happen again anytime soon.” She hesitated before asking her next question, her eyes on the bruise on Sherry’s face. “Sherz, why did they beat you?” she whispered the words, as if the softer they were, the less they’d hurt her friend.

  Sherry frowned and looked down at her bruised wrists. “They started asking me stuff, like interrogating me. They wanted to know everything about you and Reid and Ricky, your relationship with Reid and your mum. Things they could hurt you with if they found out. I refused to tell them, so they blindfolded me and hit me. They didn’t hit me much though. Mainly they just let me walk into trees.” Tears spilled down Sherry’s cheeks, tingeing pink as they dripped over the dried blood from cut on her left cheekbone.

  Ember hugged her friend tightly. “Shh. It’s okay now. Nobody’s going to hurt you anymore. You’re safe. I’m so sorry I got you into this. If I live forever, I’ll never forgive myself. It’s all my fault,” Ember whispered, still hugging her friend so Sherry wouldn’t see that she was crying too. She needed to be strong, and she had no right to cry. This was her own fault, and she deserved the guilt.

  She’d killed five people, and whether or not they were evil, that should make her feel awful. The worrying thing was that she didn’t feel an ounce of regret about that. Was that part of being a vampire? The lack of guilt? Or was it because they deserved it for hurting Sherry? Maybe it was a little of both. Maybe she should have been scared of herself, scared that she could do that to someone, watch them burn to death, screaming, and feel nothing. But there was a cold knot in her chest that wouldn’t let her grieve for Owen and the witches, for what she’d done to them.

  Shaking away her thoughts, Ember sighed. “Come on, let’s go. We’ll figure out our way as we go and hope we don’t get completely lost.” She pulled Sherry to her feet. Together they hobbled their way to the edge of the trees and dived into the sea of pines and ash trees with the aim of finding their way back to Acorn Hills Academy sometime today.

  ** Reid **

  It was getting dark, and Reid was only getting more and more anxious. They hadn’t been able to find Ember last night, despite having searched half the damned forest. And what was worse, was that Sherry had gone missing too. The boys assumed the witches had taken her, as a means of persuading Ember to help them – which meant, of course, that Ember would give in. If it was a choice of Reid or Sherry, Ember would always choose her best friend. He had absolutely no doubt about it, and he didn’t begrudge her that loyalty.

  So now, he was waiting impatiently for Ember and Owen and the witches to show up with stakes. Ricky was in a state of panic, but Reid kept reassuring him that he was sure Sherry would be fine, because Ember wouldn’t let anyone touch her. It was them, the vampires, who were in danger.

  But Ricky kept worrying about Sherry, and Reid let him, seeing as he was still so worried about Ember. He wished like mad he could take back their whole stupid argument and wrap his arms around her, have her safe and sound once again. He regretted that argument like he’d never regretted anything before, and the thought kept passing through his head, no matter how he tried to tell himself Ember would be fine, that that argument could have been the last thing he said to her.

  But he couldn’t turn back time, couldn’t take any of it back, and all he could do was wait with his nerves fraying. He felt useless. He hadn’t been able to protect Ember, hadn’t been able to find her, and then he hadn’t even been able to protect Sherry, like Ember would’ve wanted. He was useless, and he was a moron, and he couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d say to her if – no, when – when he saw her again. The words swirled around in his brain, sitting heavily on his tongue, impatient to be said.

  With a sigh, he glanced at the dimming sky, and then at his phone for the time: 6.23pm. He was sitting in the courtyard, on one of the peeling wooden benches. It was cold today, very few people venturing outside, and when they did, they were wrapped in gloves and scarves. But Reid barely felt the frostiness of the bitter autumn air. Everything was a blur around him, but for the ribbon he held. He hadn’t let it go since he’d found it in the forest. He played with it in his fingers, feeling the blood-red fabric slide silkily across his skin, dancing in the breeze like a dark flag. It was still bright and glowing with a sinister light, and Reid half expected to feel it turn to liquid under his fingers, drip away through his hands like spilt blood.

  He hadn’t moved from this spot for hours, but what else was there to do? He could go out searching again, but he knew it was no use. Ricky was off somewhere, desperately trying to call Sherry’s mobile for the hundredth time since they’d realised she was missing. Reid knew it would do no good, but he didn’t say anything. He just sat, feeling cold and empty inside, waiting for his girlfriend to come back with the people who wanted to kill him.

  And he’d let them. If it was his life or Ember’s, he would let Owen kill him. All he cared about was seeing Ember again, safe and unharmed. It seemed insane, and a month ago, he wouldn’t have even been able to imagine wanting to give up his life for some girl.

  But then, Ember wasn’t just any girl, and Reid had realised something the minute he’d found her ribbon, whipping in the wind that first night; he loved her. He was really, truly in love with her. Maybe it was crazy, but he couldn’t deny it anymore. When he thought about it, he realised he’d been in love with her for a while, and just never had the guts to admit it to himself. This feeling, this love…it felt like such a fragile thing, a glass bubble inside his chest, so easily broken. Like if he made one wrong move, it would smash, and he’d be left picking up the shattered pieces of his heart.

  He had to see Ember again, so he could tell her. He’d tell her what he should have told her sooner, what he should have said to her right after their stupid argument. If he’d told her then, instead of giving her space, maybe she would have forgiven him, and Owen wouldn’t have been able to take her. It didn’t even matter if she said it back or not – part of him desperately hoped she would, though. Part of him was dying to hear her say those words to him – dying to see the look in her blue eyes when she said it. Damn, if someone had told him three months ago he’d be in love, he’d have laughed in their face.

  One thought plagued him, though: what if Ember didn’t love him? What if she didn’t feel the same way? What if…no. He couldn’t handle thinking about it. And it wouldn’t matter anyway, not until he saw her again, until he knew she was safe. Then…then they could work it out, all of it. If Owen didn’t kill him first.

  Reid shook his head, tearing his hands through his hair, gripping strands at the roots. The ribbons dangled from his fingers. Leaning his elbows o
n his knees, he stared at the rotting, mouldy wood of the bench under his boots. Every hour, the sharp pain in his chest grew more unbearable. God, he’d changed so much since he’d met this one girl. There were still big chunks of him that were the same, but other parts had melted into something softer, gentler. And the thing was, he couldn’t dislike the changes he saw in himself; not when those changes had given him Ember.

  With a sigh, he raised his head and stared at the line of the trees lurking around the looming school walls, tall and spindly giants swaying in the darkness. He peered into the thick shadows beneath the trees, watching darting fireflies fleeing from chasing pixies, and hoped for Ember to come trailing out unharmed – preferably with Sherry close behind her. No witches, and no evil Owen.

  He watched and waited, waited and hoped for his Firefly.

  Hopes were all he had until Ember returned.

  Chapter Twenty

  ** Ember **

  “Oh, come on!” Ember groaned. She and Sherry had been walking for at least hours, and it was dark now. The kind of sucking black darkness one could only find in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees. At last, they’d come to a road, but it stretched on, straight as a slick, black arrow, in both directions, and they couldn’t see any sign of the school – or any building for that matter.

  Ember sighed, leaning against a tree by the side of the road, exhausted. Her feet ached, and her head hurt, and she was sure they should have reached civilization by now. There was no way Owen had dragged her this far. “Where the hell are we?” she muttered, squinting down the dark road. Her heightened vampire vision allowed her to see clearly enough in the darkness, but even so, the road simply seemed to go on forever, winding away into nothingness.

  Sherry slumped to the ground next to her, folding her legs under her on the rough grass by the side of the road. “Well, it probably leads right to the school. We must be further away than we thought. We should just follow the road,” she suggested.

  Ember frowned and looked around uselessly as if the scenery would suddenly change and they’d magically be back at school. The sky was black, with the charcoal clouds moving lazily across the face of the moon, blocking the moonlight. “Fine, come on. We’d better keep going, or we’ll be out here for days,” Ember grumbled, staring down the long empty road, dreading walking all that way. She helped Sherry back up and they began walking again with great reluctance.

  *

  They walked for what felt like ages, and Ember was sure that there was no way they’d been dragged out here on foot. Not a chance. Even small and light as she was, Owen wouldn’t have been able to haul her this far, and Sherry said she hadn’t walked all that far with the witches, and she had been unconscious some thee time too – no way the witches had carried her. Surely, while they’d been unconscious, they must’ve been piled her into cars and driven out here.

  “Ember, look!” Sherry grabbed her arm suddenly, and Ember jumped. She lifted her heavy head, and followed Sherry’s pointing finger. In the distance, she could make out the faint glow of light spilling onto the side of the road. Her heart soared with relief.

  A grin broke across her mouth, and she looked at Sherry, whose eyes were wide with hope. “Do you think it’s the school?” she asked.

  Ember shrugged. “Only one way to find out.” She broke into a run, ignoring the protests of her aching muscles as her feet slapped the ground, eating up the distance.

  Behind her, she heard Sherry laugh and call out, “Wait for me!”

  Grinning, Ember glanced back over her shoulder as her friend rushed to catch up. “Hurry up, human girl!”

  “Hey!” Sherry said, indignant. Ember laughed but slowed down so Sherry could catch up.

  Tired and filthy, they finally reached the brightly lit building…only to discover it wasn’t the school at all. It was small, 24-hour petrol station. Awesome, Ember thought sarcastically, staring at the tiny, grimy building crouching under a low roof, behind the lonely figures of the petrol pumps. If only we had a car, she thought with bitter smile.

  Sherry was a little more optimistic. “Well, maybe the guy behind the counter can tell us where the hell we are,” she suggested. Ember nodded tiredly. She wanted to curl up in a ball and go back to sleep. Maybe when she woke up, she’d be back in her warm bed, nice and clean and cosy. Then again, she knew wishful thinking didn’t do anyone any good, and it wouldn’t get them home. So she followed Sherry to the door and they stepped into the little, bright store.

  Inside, the store was as nondescript as the outside, just like any other petrol station in the country, with aisles of sweets and crisps, and big fridges full of drinks. The guy behind the counter looked a few years older than them, his feet up on the counter as he flipped lazily through the latest copy of Kerrang! magazine. He looked up when the bell over the doorway dinged as the girls came in.

  In a friendly, casual voice, he greeted them. “Hello, there. What can I do for you, ladies?” He leaned his elbows on the counter in front of him, laying down his magazine. He looked them over, and his brown eyes widened as he saw the state they were in. Frowning, he rubbed two fingers over the stubble on his jaw. “You alright?” he asked.

  Sherry smiled at him pleasantly, perfectly polite, as if she didn’t have blood on her face. “We were out hiking, and we just got a little lost. Any chance you could tell us how far we are from Acorn Hills?”

  The guy nodded, his brows furrowed. “Acorn Hills, huh? That’s still a couple of miles away,” he said apologetically.

  Ember sighed, rubbing at her temple to try and ease her growing headache. Her jaw was starting to ache, and a sharp pain split her stomach, making her gasp. With a sense of dread, she realised what the problem was. She was hungry, and not for food – for blood. Oh, hell, she thought, clenching her jaw.

  Ember fought the clawing pain in her stomach that was threatening to make her double over. The guy behind the counter glanced at her, his frown deepening. “Hey, are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, sounding concerned. Ember bit her lip, unable to answer. Her eyes strayed to his neck, where she could see his pulse beating strong and steady. She felt the sting of her fangs digging into her lower lip, and turned away quickly.

  Sherry touched her arm as she crumpled inward. “Emz? Ember, what’s wrong?” she asked quietly. Ember looked up at her friend, and saw Sherry’s eyes widen. “Your eyes,” Sherry whispered. It took Ember a second to realise what she was talking about, then she remembered the way Reid’s eyes looked when he vamped-out – bright and dark, like firelight glinting on metal. Did her eyes look like that right now?

  Speaking around her fangs, Ember hissed, “Blood. I need blood.”

  “Hey…hey, do you need me to call an ambulance or something?” the boy asked, coming around the counter. He moved toward her, and Ember caught the scent of his skin, heard the quick thrum of his heart beating. Ember opened her mouth to warn him to stay back. She could already imagine sinking her fangs into the boy’s neck, the hot blood spilling over her tongue and pouring down her throat, the painful ache easing into sweetness. She wanted it – no, she needed it. She needed to feed.

  Her control snapped.

  She swung around and grabbed the boy by the front of his t-shirt, dragging him close as he let out a yell of surprise. He struggled against her as she gripped the back of his neck, holding him.

  Then she darted forward, sinking her teeth into the flesh, and blood burst into her mouth. She groaned, clutching him tighter as his struggles faded, sucking the warm liquid out of him. The blood ran hot down her throat, and she swallowed, the gnawing agony in her gut and the ache in her gums subsiding.

  Now that he wasn’t fighting, Ember pulled out her fangs and pulled his head back further to get a better grip before biting again. Her sharp canines pierced his flesh easily, and another spurt of blood splashed into her mouth. The boy moaned quietly as the chemicals in her bite finally released the endorphins that were a victim’s reward for being a vampire’s lunch – Reid h
ad explained to her how it worked, the side-effects of feeding.

  Ember swallowed once more, and then pulled away. She let go of the boy and he slid onto the floor. He was still awake, but barely, languishing in the drugged haze of chemicals she’d injected into him with her bite. A little blood leaked down his neck, but her bite had been clean and she hadn’t pierced anything important.

  Feeling energized, Ember smiled, and knelt by the boy. She lifted his head and waited until he met her gaze – his brown eyes were bright, his pupils dilated. Focusing hard, Ember reached out with a tendril of her power, capturing his shocked mind.

  “You will not remember ever seeing me or my friend. You passed out from exhaustion and you will be fine as soon as you eat something,” Ember whispered into his head, Compelling him.

  The boy nodded dazedly. Satisfied, Ember licked her lips as she stood, looking down at the limp cashier lying on the floor. Behind her, Sherry was staring at her friend, stuttering. “What did…you just…and he…what…?”

  Ember glanced at her. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. I think. I Compelled him to forget he ever saw us,” she said. Sherry just stared at her. Ember frowned. “What? You’ve seen me feed before.”

  Sherry shook her head. “Well, yeah, but that was…different. That was on Reid – this guy is just some stranger.”

  Ember strode to one of the fridges at the back of the store and pulled open the door. A puff of cool air brushed her arm as she reached inside and snagged a bottle of Coke. She turned to Sherry. “Want one?”

  Grimacing, Sherry pressed her fingers to her forehead. “Really? We’re stealing now?”

  Ember shrugged and glanced at the guy on the floor. “He really isn’t going to care, Sherz. And anyway, that bite probably did a lot more for him than it did for me; believe me – that can be his payment.”

  For a long moment, sherry just stared at her, and then she sighed. “Irn-Bru.”