Into the Spiral (The Spiral Defenders Series: Book One)

by Erin Danzer

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Ronnie had a great night hanging out with Andi and was optimistic when she went to school the next morning. She hoped Shawn could be as forgiving as Andi, but when she suggested it to Andi she was told to give him a few days to cool off.

  “I love you no matter what you tell me because you’re my best friend,” Andi explained. “Shawn really loves you and he thinks you betrayed him. And I know you didn’t, but he needs to cool off before you try explaining it to him.”

  “I just don’t know how long I can do this. I miss him. I’ve waited so long for this to happen and now I’ve ruined it by doing nothing wrong.”

  “You need to give him time.” Andi patted Ronnie’s arm. Ronnie frowned but nodded.

  Seeing Shawn in the halls and the two classes they had together was pure torture. Ronnie’s heart hurt every time Shawn glared at her or turned his back on her. She wanted to talk to him, but she knew he wasn’t ready. Finally, Thursday afternoon, she couldn’t stand it any longer. She waited for Shawn after football practice. The team’s first game was the next evening so practice only lasted until four. Even though she was still grounded, she needed to talk to Shawn. She had to make him understand. Shawn glared when he came out and found her waiting for him. She took a deep breath and fell into step next to him as he started away from the field.

  “Shawn, we need to talk,” she declared.

  “We have nothing to say,” he replied, not looking at her. She reached up and grabbed his arm but he didn’t stop walking.

  “Dammit, Shawn, we do. I have something I have to say and you need to hear it.”

  He stopped walking and glared down at her. “What could you possibly say? What now, you want to tell me how wonderful he is? How he treats you like you’re special? What is it, Ronnie?”

  “Gavin’s not who you think he is,” she blurted out and hated the words as soon as they were out. She grimaced. She didn’t know how to do this.

  “Oh really, he’s not interested in you?”

  “It doesn’t matter if he is or not. I’m only interested in you.”

  “You have a funny way of showing it, what with sleeping with the guy after you kick me out of your house.”

  “I didn’t know he would be there. I didn’t ask him to be there. Dammit, Shawn, I’m trying to tell you he’s saved my life—twice.”

  “How did he do that?”

  “He’s a Spiral Defender, he can defeat the wraiths that were after me, the ghosts.”

  “A what? What the hell are you talking about?”

  Ronnie ran a hand through her hair, exasperated as she stared up at her ex-boyfriend. This was not going the way she wanted it to. She didn’t even know what she was going to say now. “A Spiral Defender is someone not from Earth who goes to other planets to keep the peace within the Spiral.”

  “So you’re saying he’s out of this world. That’s great, Ronnie, just great.”

  Shawn started walking across the parking lot again and Ronnie stared after him. Her mind whirled with things to say but she knew none of it was going to get through. Shawn was still mad at her and until he cooled down, he wouldn’t listen to anything else she had to say. She sighed and ran to catch up to him. He stopped when she came up next to him and continued to glare down at her.

  “No, Ronnie, no more. I don’t want to hear anymore about how wonderful your boyfriend is. I don’t care,” he declared and turned away. He was about to continue walking when he stopped and looked at her again. “You know what hurts the most? You lied to me. You said he wasn’t a threat and a week later, you proved that he was. Whether anything happened or if he’s from this world or not, you still lied to me. That’s the part I can’t forgive you for.”

  “But I didn’t know I was lying,” she argued. “I hated him. I wanted nothing to do with him. He drove me crazy. You can’t hold that against me.”

  “So what’s your excuse for what happened? Do you still hate him? Because all I hear is you defending him. You didn’t seem to want nothing to do with him when you came downstairs holding his hand.”

  “He was just comforting me.”

  “Bullshit. Comforting you is a pat on the back, not grinning and holding your hand.” He shook his head, disgust twisting his features. “Goodbye, Ronnie. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be around you.”

  Ronnie stood frozen to the sidewalk as he strode away from her. When he got to his car, he didn’t look back as he climbed in behind the wheel and peeled out of the parking lot moments later. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she realized it was completely over with Shawn. He would never give her another chance. She swore and walked over to her car, letting the tears fall freely. Since she had her car here, it wasn’t like she had to worry about anyone seeing her fall apart.

  She got home before her mom and stumbled up to her room, where she locked the door and fell across her bed. She curled up in a ball with her pillow pressed against her chest, the ache inside so great she could barely breathe. When her phone rang, she ignored it. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. A few minutes later her phone chimed with a new text message and she reached for it. Maybe it was Shawn saying he was wrong. Instead it was from Gavin.

  I’m sorry.

  Fresh tears welled in her eyes as she read the message a second time. He’d been there. He’d seen what happened with Shawn. And he was telling her he felt sorry for her.

  “I want you here,” she whispered, not sure if Gavin was in the room with her. She remembered Rick’s parting words about knowing everything that happened and wondered what he would do if Gavin suddenly showed up in her bedroom. Could he really know? Would he banish Gavin to a different planet so that they would be kept apart even once she returned to Kalearnia? Her phone chimed again and she wiped her eyes as she read Gavin’s message. Soon. She nodded and said okay, wiping her eyes again. She slid off her bed and crossed the room to the door.

  “I miss you,” she whispered and left her room, leaving her phone on her bed. She walked down the stairs and out the front door. She couldn’t sit at home. Even if Gavin was there in the In Between, he couldn’t comfort her the way she needed. She started down the street and decided to go to Andi’s house to see if she could find comfort there.

  A block from Andi’s house, her tattoo began to tingle. Someone or something was following her. She stopped walking and held her breath. Very quietly, like a whisper on the wind, a low hissing growl came to her ears. Ronnie’s heart pounded as she slowly turned around. She didn’t see anything, but the sound persisted. She closed her eyes and pushed back the panic that started to cloud her mind. She needed to concentrate. The sound came from her left. She opened her eyes and looked in that direction. Nothing. Panic and adrenaline flooded her body as the hiss became a full growl and she knew the shadow hound was attacking. Strong hands grabbed her and she was suddenly in the In Between.

  “Gavin,” she gasped as she clung to him. He wryly smiled as he stepped away and reached into his cargo pocket. The growling hiss sounded behind them and Ronnie stared at Gavin as he handed her a smooth steel cylinder that pulsed with light. She knew the sword; it was the one from her dream.

  “Its name is Lamina Lucis. I can’t stay, Princess, but you know what to do,” he told her and disappeared into the shadows around them.

  Ronnie only had a moment to feel abandoned before the shadow hound lunged at her again. Ronnie yelped as she scrambled out of its path but its black claws ripped into her shoulder. She cried out and went down on one knee, sparing a glance at the damage. Three ragged claw marks ran the length of her right shoulder, but the strangest thing was happening. It looked like the wound was healing itself, the skin knitting back together.

  She barely had a chance to marvel at it before the hound attacked again. She held the cylinder in a two-handed grip in front of her and said its name. The sword instantly came to life, the blade shooting up out of the cylinder, and she managed to plunge the blade into the hound’s chest. The beast howled
and groaned as it dissipated back into the shadows. Elation flooded her the same time as pain shot from her shoulder down her arm. She moved the shredded sleeve of her t-shirt and watched the wound finish healing. She ran her fingertips over the tender pink skin and was amazed that it wasn’t bleeding anymore. She lifted her arm and her shoulder didn’t even hurt.

  “Wow,” she whispered and yelped as strong hands grabbed her and dragged her out of the In Between. She blinked in the sudden sunlight and realized she had dropped her sword when she was grabbed.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Rick growled at her. Ronnie looked up with wide eyes. How had he known where to find her?

  “What—what do you mean?” she stammered. He glared at her.

  “I mean, what the hell were you doing in the In Between? How did you get in there?”

  “I was attacked by another shadow hound and it took me in there when it lunged at me,” she told him, her glare meeting his. She wasn’t about to say anything about Gavin’s involvement and was relieved she dropped her sword. She couldn’t explain having that without getting Gavin in trouble. Rick seemed placated by her lie and his expression softened as he nodded.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded.

  “It got my shoulder but I’m okay,” she replied. She jerked away when he reached out to check the damage. “You don’t need to touch me. I said I’m fine.”

  He paused, his hand still raised towards her. Their eyes met. Finally, he lowered his hand and nodded. “Can I walk you home?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m fine.”

  She turned on her heel and walked the block back to her house, comfort from Andi forgotten. Relief filled her when Rick didn’t try to walk with her and she reached her house alone. She walked inside and found her mom flipping through the mail at the kitchen counter.

  “Where were you?” the woman asked, her tone biting. Ronnie didn’t flinch from it like she used to, instead steadily meeting her mom’s cold gaze.

  “I was out. Now I’m home. I have homework to do,” she replied and headed upstairs to her room.