Mortal Danger

by Ann Aguirre

  “Come on, Eat-it. It’s just a joke. Not like we raped you.” He’d strolled away as I barfed up a can of dog food.

  “Wow,” Vi breathed. “I’m glad I don’t go to private school.”

  Surprised, I choked out a shaky laugh. “I’m sorry you—”

  “Hey, no. They can eat shit and die.”

  I almost agreed with her, but then I remembered Brittany’s face. No matter how I felt about her, I hadn’t wanted her dead. So I smiled at Vi when she changed the subject and told me about something she was working on, a robotics project. I had less interest in that, but she carried the conversation long enough for me to pull myself together.

  “Thanks,” I said finally.

  “That’s what friends are for. And if you want me to come kick some tail, I will totally put together a posse.”

  “What’s your gang called, Vi-Z?”

  She snorted. “I thought I’d offer. Anyway, I’m deleting this crap. Let us never speak of this again.” By her tone, I could tell she was quoting something, but I wasn’t sure what.

  “Talk to you later, Vi.”

  “Don’t let the Neanderthals get you down.”

  “They don’t, anymore.” In fact, there was one less in the world.

  I closed my laptop and took a shower, but I couldn’t lose the uneasy feeling that something could be lurking outside the curtain, staring at me from the other side of the mirror. So no more long, luxuriant scrubs—this time, it was fast and unsatisfying, much as my dad had described virginal sex during his super awkward talk the other night.

  Afterward, I got ready for my date, which involved a clean pair of jeans and a shirt Kian had never seen. I didn’t have a ton of clothes, and shopping wasn’t high on my to-do list, considering the stuff going on. Not sure what it said about me that I wasn’t rocking and weeping. But before I left, my computer beeped again with another call from Vi.

  That’s weird.

  But I answered, figuring she forgot to tell me something important. “Long time, no talk.”

  “I just want you to know, I’m not crazy. Whatever they say later.” That was such a weird greeting that I put down my hairbrush.

  “What the hell. Vi?”

  “I told you about those dreams, right? Well, it’s happening when I’m awake now, too. I see everything encased in ice. Just now, I went to ask my mom something and she was all blue, enveloped in ice, and I couldn’t wake her up. And then, like, she wasn’t, it was all in my head or something, but—”

  Wedderburn. That word blazed in my brain, more dreadful than any curse.

  “It’s fine, you’re just stressed. Calm down, okay?”

  “I can’t! I’m losing my shit and I’m only seventeen. Instead of college, I have a bright future ahead of me coloring with crayons and writing things on the wall of my cell. The weird thing is, I never even liked snow that much, but now I see it everywhere I turn. The other night, my dad was sprinkling salt and I kind of fell into watching it, so it was like I was lost in a blizzard and I didn’t answer my brother for, like, five minutes. My parents blame Seth.”

  I have to fix this.

  Aloud, I said, “Drink less caffeine. Have an herbal tea at night before bed and meditate or something.”

  “I don’t think waking dreams are normal.” She sounded so sad and scared, and considering how amazing she had been a few hours before about the damned dog video, I wanted so bad to help her.

  This can’t turn out like Brittany. I felt like a plague carrier, spreading darkness and death in all directions. Whether that was true, I didn’t know, but a scream prickled in my throat. I swallowed it like a cactus and imagined I tasted blood.

  “Psht. Who wants to be normal?”

  That made her smile. “Fine. I’ll try your new age-y crap before I dump this on my mom. God knows she has enough to worry about with Kenny starting junior high.” She went on to tell me about her brother’s host of mental problems, most of which required medication.

  “Better?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Thanks.

  “That’s what friends are for.” I repeated her words from earlier, trying to sound calm and reassuring.

  She paused for a few seconds, and I wished I could reach through my laptop to hug her. “My friends here aren’t the same. You know?”

  “Sure.” Because I knew it would make her laugh, I said, “You’re my sister from another mister.”

  “Totally. I’ll keep you posted on whether the tea and serenity stuff makes a dent in my crazy.”

  “Later.”

  This time, when I closed my computer, I tapped out a text to Kian. Come early, it’s urgent. Favor related.

  Five minutes after I sent that, he ported into my room. “Edie, don’t rush this. You can have five years, free and clear. Take them.”

  “I can’t. Wedderburn is terrorizing Vi. Isn’t that … cheating or something?”

  “Not by their standards.”

  “You didn’t tell me they could do this when I first signed up for the deal.”

  He lowered his eyes, cheeks washed with red. “You didn’t ask.” Then his voice went low. “I’m sorry. I wanted to warn you. I did. That’s the second thing I feel guilty about in relation to you.”

  I almost asked what the first one was, and then I remembered that he felt horrible about not dying for me. Crazy, beautiful boy. Though I’d tried to absolve him, clearly Kian agreed with Voltaire: “Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.” Even if it meant paying the ultimate price.

  He went on, “But I … also wanted to save your life.”

  “It doesn’t matter. At this point, I’m ready to use my second favor.”

  “Edie—”

  “Will you grant it or do I need to go over your head?” I was dead serious.

  “I’m listening,” he said, resigned.

  “First I need to ask a clarifying question.”

  “Go for it.”

  “Can I include multiple people in a request? Like, if I want to protect all of my loved ones from the game?”

  Kian shook his head. “By immortal standards, that would require a favor for each of them. You could pick two people, at most, and that would burn your last two.”

  “Dammit.” But Wedderburn had given no sign that Ryu or my parents had registered with him, so maybe I shouldn’t borrow trouble. “Fine. Then this is what I want: He needs to keep Vi out of this. She gets to have her happy life without being bothered. I don’t want the fact that we’re friends to screw her up. Can you do it?”

  “This is exactly what he wants,” Kian warned.

  “I still have one favor. He hasn’t railroaded me all the way yet, so that gives me a little leverage.”

  “Your mind’s made up then.” He looked as if I’d confessed to having brain cancer when he tapped his watch, one of the myriad buttons whose function I didn’t know, and Wedderburn’s face appeared above it in 3-D holo.

  “Yes?”

  Kian repeated my request, though more elegantly. For the first time, I could imagine him on the path to law school and eventually the Supreme Court. It was sort of odd, since he wasn’t actually that person, but there were echoes. People were mirrors turned inward to infinity, where all choices and roads not taken led to an endless shifting of self.

  When Wedderburn smiled, I wished I could reach through the ether and throttle him. “This is easily done. A commendable gesture on your part, Miss Kramer. Your friend’s future is safe, assured by your altruism, and you are one step hearer to your destiny.”

  “Bullshit,” I said.

  I hissed as my wrist burned. Another line, this one crossed the infinity symbol in the middle, where the two halves met. Two out of three favors burned. Fear bubbled inside me at shifting that much closer to Wedderburn’s clutches, but I didn’t regret protecting Vi. It chafed that I’d played into the icy devil’s hands, but what else could I have done?

  “Think what you like.” Wedderburn’s tone radiated pure satisfaction. “
It has been a pleasure, as always.”

  When the holo vanished, Kian’s shoulders slumped. “I wish you hadn’t done that.”

  “He was making Vi crazy. How long before he got bored with the cat-and-mouse thing and did something worse to her?” No way to prove it, but I suspected Wedderburn didn’t listen when I told him not to intervene with the Teflon crew. If so, Brittany’s death was on me. But it could also be D&F, trying to drive me nuts with guilt. My head throbbed.

  “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “Their sense of time doesn’t align with ours, usually. They’re capricious, but…”

  “What?”

  “They have long attention spans. I’ve known creatures to stalk one person for years, just appearing and watching, appearing and watching, feasting on their fear.”

  “Until that person winds up eating pudding from a cup for every meal and living in a room with upholstered walls? Because nobody will believe them.”

  Kian stepped closer, and I went into his arms.

  “It makes me want to interview a bunch of people in mental hospitals and find out what they know.”

  He grinned. “I guarantee that’s not the future Wedderburn’s pushing you toward.”

  “That’s hardly a deterrent. He says I’m on track, but who the hell knows? According to you, I won’t find out until I graduate.”

  “Worst matriculation present ever.”

  “It’s hot when you use ten-dollar words.” I smiled up at him, ready for a kiss, until I heard one of my parents coming down the hall.

  “Edie? Who are you talking to?” my dad asked.

  “I’m on Skype,” I called, while motioning for Kian to disappear.

  “Ah. Say hi to Vi for me.”

  With a regretful look, Kian ported, leaving me to wait for him to pick me up the old-fashioned way. When he arrived via the front door, he was a little late. Both my parents inspected him for the second time, and my mom grilled him about his science background. I suspected she might show him the door if he showed too many liberal arts tendencies. Most likely, his poetry journal would get him evicted.

  “Ready?” Kian asked, after fifteen minutes of convo with my parents, which was like eight dog years.

  “Yeah, I’ll see you guys later.” With a wave, I followed him out and down the stairs, where we found Mr. Lewis staring at a giant nail protruding over the front door.

  “Something wrong?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Some no-good bastard stole my horseshoe.”

  At first, I had no idea what he was talking about and then I realized he’d mentioned hanging one up for protection. “That’s a problem.”

  The old man leveled a grim look on me. “More for you than me, girlie.”

  “Why’s that?” I asked, while Kian glanced between us in dawning startlement.

  “Because now they can come in.”

  FINDING THE LOST

  “Could you text Kian and ask him not to pick you up today?” From Davina, that was a surprising question, but she had been a little different today, possibly as a result of our whispered conversation at the weekend sleepover, after Jen fell asleep. She’d followed me to the bathroom after lunch and was pretending to put on lip gloss while I washed my hands.

  “Why?” Maybe it qualified as cynical, but I wasn’t agreeing to anything without asking. My life was currently in too much of a mess for me to take on more complications blindly. Brittany’s death danced in the corners of my mind while monsters lurked in the shadows, waiting to catch me unaware. Lately my head was a scary place to live.

  “I need to look for Russ, and I was hoping you’d go with me. I can borrow my mom’s car, but I don’t want to leave the city alone.”

  “How far is it?” There was a limit to what I could get away with on a school night.

  “About an hour and a half.”

  “I can text my dad and tell him I’m studying at the library with you if you’re willing to corroborate.”

  Last year I’d have bet my vintage TARDIS that any member of the Teflon crew, even a perpetual floater, didn’t know what that meant. Davina nodded. “Absolutely. And it’d be awesome if you were willing to tell my mom the same thing.”

  “Not a problem.” That settled, I tapped out a quick message to Kian saying I didn’t need a ride after all, but he didn’t reply.

  Apparently he has a life.

  “Thanks for doing this.” She paused, lowered her voice to add, “The others don’t get it, but Russ actually cares about me.”

  I hadn’t seen any evidence of it, but she seemed secure in that conclusion. “I’m sure he’s a nicer guy than he lets on.”

  “Exactly. When we’re alone, he’s really sweet. Did you know he plays piano?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “He’d kill me if he knew I told you. Don’t let on, okay?”

  “I won’t.” Unlike Allison, I didn’t want to cause trouble for Davina.

  “Thanks. I’ll see you after school?”

  I nodded and she hurried out of the bathroom, much more cheerful. Pausing at my locker, I sent my dad a message. Working on a project with Davina at the library. Home later than usual.

  How late?

  Not sure. I’ll have dinner out.

  Remember, I know what time the library closes.

  My dad was sharp. While I’d never given him any reason to distrust me, he remained cognizant that I might suddenly start lying at any time, an anomaly he would doubtless blame on hormones and their response to people with penises. Since Russ presumably had one, my father wasn’t entirely wrong, just not right in the way he’d imagine.

  Afternoon classes passed slowly; I turned in assignments and took notes, though not my usual meticulous ones. Davina was waiting when the last bell rang. She jittered with energy as she walked to my locker, surprising me with her nonstop narrative. Before, I always got the impression she was shy, but that might’ve resulted from being shut down by Brittany and Allison. Possibly she felt like we’d bonded, after the hospital and then the sleepover weirdness.

  “I don’t know if you heard,” she said, as we headed for the front gates, “but Allison is holding tryouts to fill Brit’s spot on the squad.”

  “You’re the alternate. Aren’t you supposed to move up automatically?”

  Her chin firmed as if she was clenching her teeth. “That was how they conned me into being mascot for the last three years.”

  “That’s bullshit. How is she getting away with it?”

  “The short version? Her dad has more money than mine. So when she comes to Coach Tina with how she’s so concerned about the performance of the squad in competition, too many fliers, not enough foundation, blah blah, and an open audition is best—that her dad will be very happy to buy new uniforms, even a new bus, if necessary—as long as Allie gets the support she needs.”

  “Wow.” I had no idea what to say. “You need to perform so well that you land a spot anyway, then a freshman can be mascot this year.”

  “That’d be nice. But the teachers who pick the squad always seem to choose me as alternate.” Her smile was ironic. “I wonder why. Maybe if my family bought textbooks or new computers or donated a pool, I’d miraculously make the squad.”

  I smirked. “On your own merits.”

  “Naturally. It’d be three years of hard work and relentless practice that finally shattered that glass ceiling.”

  Deciding I liked Davina, I made up a new school slogan on the spot. “Blackbriar, just enough diversity to prevent litigation.”

  She laughed and grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the T. At school, I’d never had friends, of either gender, who hauled me around like that. My throat tightened a little.

  Davina got us to her house fast, where she wheedled and begged her mom for the car. In the end, she agreed to get some groceries before her mother handed over the keys; It took some creative lying about the many heavy books our project required. This was a big, old car with a powerful motor that roared like an aging lion wh
en she started it. I buckled in, hoping she was a good driver.

  Davina seemed to know what she was doing, heading out of the city on the interstate before the worst of the commuter traffic locked the city down. I didn’t say much because on some levels, this seemed crazy. Russ had obviously disappeared for a reason; I mean, if he had been kidnapped, he wouldn’t have lied to his parents about being at Cameron’s house. The farther we got from the city, the more nervous I became. There was no guarantee that Davina wasn’t working with Wedderburn or Dwyer & Fell. Either way, it could be bad for me.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, mostly to see if she’d tell me.

  “His dad owns a house in New Hampshire. Sometimes Russ took me out there.”

  That didn’t sound like the behavior of a guy who cared about a girl, more like how he’d act if he was hiding her. I didn’t say that; Davina was barely keeping her concern in check as it was, and she was driving. I didn’t have a license.

  “Nice?” I imagined a lake mansion, six bedrooms, as many baths, boat house.

  “It’s remote,” she said thoughtfully. “Peaceful, though. Smaller than you’d expect.”

  “Maybe it was leftover from before they had money.”

  Though I was kidding, she said, “Probably.”

  Conversation died in her preoccupation, and I lacked the focus to press on. The more distance we put between Boston and me, the less the infinity mark on my arm liked it. All around the symbol, the skin felt hot and inflamed, like the brand was reminding me I had obligations. I know, one more favor. Odd, because when I went away for the SSP, it didn’t bother me at all. That was before Wedderburn decreed that I needed to burn through my requests, though. As time wore on, I actually had to lace my hands together to keep from wrenching the wheel and turning the car back toward the city.

  We passed the state line without any problems, though I noticed Davina worrying her lower lip. The roads got smaller and rougher until we turned onto what I guessed was a long, private drive. Trees framed the rocky path in an archway of foliage, mostly green, tinged here and there with gold. If Davina didn’t seem sure of the route, I’d assume we were hopelessly lost as she turned the car deeper and deeper into the woods. By this time, the sky was darkening to purple, clouds dotting the horizon like bruises.