Born Dark

by H G Lynch

  “Oh, come on! You know I hate talking about this stuff! Don’t make me explain again! We weren’t going to have sex! We have not had sex. We will not have sex!” She didn’t mean that last part really, but she was throwing her whole gamble into this one. She needed her mother to believe her. But obviously, eventually, when she was ready, she and Reid would… yeah. She stopped thinking about it before the blood rose to her face.

  At last, Carol sighed. “I’ll believe you on that, just because I know you Ember. I know how responsible you are about these things. I just worry about you because I’ve heard a lot of stories about Reid Ashton, from mothers of girls he’s been with. And from teachers. I don’t want you to be another one of them.” Her mother’s expression was unreadable. But that did explain the mystery of how she’d known about Reid, and most likely, about the dance too. Ember had forgotten her mother was friends with a friend of one of the teachers here. Great. Fabulous. She’d going to be keeping track of me, isn’t she? The bitter, paranoid part of Ember’s mind muttered to her.

  “I won’t be. Trust me. I don’t think he’s ever had to work so hard to get near a girl in all his life,” Ember laughed a little, recalling the many pains she’d put Reid through to get up to this point. Carol smiled slightly, but she still looked tense.

  “I can imagine,” she said simply. “But if catch the two of you again. There will be consequences.” Her voice left nothing to argue and Ember nodded solemnly. Her mother dismissed her and Ember practically ran from the room, breathing a sigh of relief once she was out. New day, new worry, she thought, glad the most painful part of the day was over with. Or rather, an older worry.

  “Have you got any leads on the crow-killer yet?” Ember asked impatiently. Somehow, in the midst of her worries about her mother, she’d overlooked the whole dead-bird-in-her-room thing for a couple of days. Reid looked discouraged, his blue eyes showing his disappointment.

  “No. We’ve chased down every lead we had, and all we got were dead ends. It’s just that, as much as a lot of people hate you now - thanks to your snarky, witty remarks - they’re all too shallow to have the guts or brains to pull a prank like that.” He grimaced and Ember thought it looked strange on him; He looked so much better when he smiled. She sighed and folded her arms, thinking seriously.

  “Well it hasn’t happened again, and I’m pretty much over it anyway. I still want to kill whoever did it, more for the sake of the bird than myself. I guess we could let it go.” It hurt her to say that, the fury for the suffering and pain the crow must’ve endured by the hand of the sick freak who had killed it welled up inside her. But she had other things to focus on and she couldn’t hang on to anymore stresses. Reid was looking at her like she was crazy. Maybe she was.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I’m just not going to waste any more time on this. I’m not giving the twisted bastard the satisfaction of having me constantly on edge. Either it’ll happen again or it won’t. And until it does, I’ve got bigger issues.” Ember knew she sounded perfectly calm and rational, but inside she was fuming. Reid seemed to sense that.

  “Very… sensible. Pity you don’t mean a word of it.” Reid rolled his eyes, obviously having picked up on her hidden anger.

  “I do mean it!” she insisted, then frowned. “Well, sort of. I just don’t think it’s right to waste energy worrying about one more thing. I’ve already got my mum and this dance to worry about, plus there’s still the matter of reality not being what it should be and the whole thing bet-” Ember shut herself up, realising her next words could be taken the wrong way. Reid just stared at her with narrowed eyes.

  “Yes? ‘The whole thing bet-’… between, maybe? As in, between you and me?” He arched a brow at her and she turned away, biting her lip. “Uh-huh. That’s what I thought.” Ember couldn’t tell what he felt about that because his voice was deceptively calm.

  “Look, I didn’t mean-” she started, turning back to look up at him with big blue eyes.

  “Yeah, I know. It’s complicated. Normally I enjoy making other people’s lives more difficult but with you I actually feel bad,” he sighed shaking his head in what Ember was sure was mock-despair.

  “You know I’d rather have a more complicated life than one without a sexy vampire boyfriend, right?” She grinned, trying to cheer him up. He raised his brows at her, his face showing mild surprise. Then Ember realised what she’d said, and covered her mouth with her hand. Honestly, she hadn’t meant to call him that, not out-loud. In her head, she usually referred to him as her boyfriend, but the reality was a little more complex, and she’d never actually called him that to his face before.

  But all Reid said in response was, “Yeah, I know. And I’m sure I wouldn’t be anywhere near as happy if you decided to uncomplicate your life.” He smiled almost sweetly, and his words were just a little sappy.

  Ember rolled her eyes. “You need to stop reading girls’ magazines. I don’t,” she smirked and he chuckled. Ember felt better seeing him smile again, and reached up on her toes to kiss him chastely. Of course, being who he was, he grabbed her around the waist and turned her chaste kiss into a more heated kiss. Ember pulled away regretfully, and placed a restraining hand on his chest.

  “Last time, we got caught remember? It was yesterday so don’t you dare say ‘No, I don’t remember’. Control yourself just for this week and next week you can do just about anything you like to me. Just about!” she added, holding up a finger warningly as he opened his mouth to make a typically Reid-like remark, his eyes brightening mischievously. He slumped back and groaned in disappointment.

  “You’re mean,” he muttered, pouting. Ember bit her lip, noticing how lovely he looked when he pouted like that. She was starting to doubt her own ability to control herself for a whole week.

  “I’m sensible. Now, shoo! I’ve got things to do and if you get caught in here, my mum will rip my head off, and yours too.” She shoved against his chest, trying to push him from her room.

  “Does she hate me that much already? Normally it takes more than one day for someone to want to kill me.” He shrugged but moved toward the door.

  “Yeah, well, she’s heard plenty about you, and if I didn’t like you so much, I’d still hate you too.” Ember smirked and waved to him as he wandered off down the hall.

  Sighing she sat back on her bed and wondered how the hell she would deal with her mother’s seemingly instant hatred of her b-… of Reid. Even if only for a week. And she still figured there was a way out of tomorrow’s dance. She just hadn’t thought of it yet. Lying on her bed, waiting for Sherry to return from her rendezvous with Ricky, Ember pulled out her MP3 player and plugged the headphones into her ears, hoping to drown out her thoughts and worries with loud rock music.

  Sherry

  In an empty visitor’s room, Ricky and Sherry were a little busy. Clothes were scattered on the floor and both teens were breathing raggedly, kissing and whispering to each other. The room was dim, because Ricky had closed the curtains. The door was locked, just in case Reid decided to show up.

  “Sherry…” Ricky’s voice was deep and husky as he murmured into the skin of her shoulder. He’d de-robed her of all clothes but her underwear, and he himself was stripped to his thin, sky-blue boxers.

  “Mh?” Sherry breathed, feeling his lips on her skin and the hot waves rolling through her.

  “Sherry, I… there’s something I need to tell you,” Ricky said hesitantly and Sherry was instantly worried. Those words coming from a boy’s mouth were never a good sign. She froze as he pulled away from her, and helped her into a sitting position. Whatever he had to say must’ve been important, because it was very clear he would’ve rather continued down the path they’d been on.

  “Ricky, I swear if you tell me you’re married, I’ll get Ember to bitch-slap you into the next country,” Sherry warned, only half-joking.

  “No, no, nothing like that. But it is something about me, something you really should know before we… get any more seriou
s.” Ricky looked uncertain and uncomfortable - and utterly gorgeous, with his brown hair rumpled and his muscled chest on show. Sherry waited patiently, her heart thudding in her chest from anxiety now, no longer lust. Ricky sighed.

  Ricky

  How was he supposed to tell her this? He’d been wanting to for some time now; ever since he’d had that chat with Ember and she’d said it was his choice, his responsibility to tell Sherry. He knew he needed to. He couldn’t keep lying to Sherry about what he was, he cared about her too much for that, but if she was to turn away from him in disgust… well, he wasn’t sure what he’d do.

  Finally, Ricky got up the guts to tell her, letting the words come awkwardly to his lips. He couldn’t look at her while he said them, not wanting to see whatever emotion would show in her lovely green eyes - he only knew it wouldn’t be happiness.

  “Sherry, I’m… I’m not human. I know how it sounds, but I… I’m a vampire. I know you probably don’t believe me but I can show you. I don’t want to scare you and I didn’t tell you before because I don’t want to put you in danger. There are rules and reasons for not telling you, and I was worried about how you’d react and Reid made Ember promise not to tell you. She said it was my place and nobody else’s to let you in on the secret. And I decided I care about you far too much to keep lying to you, no matter what the consequences might be later.” Ricky let out an anxious sigh but didn’t look at his girlfriend yet. He realised he’d rambled hopelessly after getting the crucial word out.

  When Sherry didn’t answer for a while, he turned to look at her and saw the disbelief in her pretty green eyes. Cautiously, Ricky pulled back his lips to expose his fangs to her. He heard her gasp, and was about to try to explain it all to her, but he didn’t get the chance. Sherry flew off the bed, dressed faster than even he could track, and was out the door in a flash. His only thought after that was, CRAP!

  Sherry

  Sherry was furious and upset as she ran, tears on her cheeks and not caring where she was going. She had to find Ember, but she knew she wouldn’t be in their room. She headed outside, anger and hurt and sadness pulsing in her. How could Ember have kept this from her? It was the biggest secret there could be, and Ember had hidden it from her for the sake of her own boyfriend! She might forgive Ricky, understanding why he hadn’t told her, believing he’d lied to keep her safe. But Ember? There was no reason Ember should’ve lied to her. No good reason. Sherry felt like her world had been tipped upside down, and she needed to scream at someone, needed someone to explain it all. But first she needed to find Ember.

  Ember

  Ember was on her way back from her tree, having been sitting in it for almost an hour now. She was avoiding her mother, and killing her boredom at the same time. She almost wished this Tuesday would end quickly, but she knew tomorrow would be worse. She still hadn’t thought of an escape plan for the dance.

  She’d only been walking for a few minutes when a familiar voice called to her, stopping her in her tracks,

  “Ember! Hey, wait up!” It was Sherry’s voice but she’d never heard that accusing, cold tone in her voice before. Not directed at her. Turning, Ember saw Sherry, her expression furious and tears drying on her cheeks, stalking toward her in angry strides.

  “Sherry, I thought you were out with Ricky? What are doing here?” Ember asked, trying to sound calm, despite her shock at her friend’s biting tone.

  “I was with Ricky! He told me about the little secret! How could you keep this from me? I thought we were best friends!” Sherry’s green eyes were vicious and sharp, just like her words. Ember gaped for a moment, hurt and horrified - had Ricky really told her?

  “What are you talking about?” She felt the need to deny it until she was sure. She wouldn’t stick her foot in her mouth and spill this secret without knowing for sure that Ricky had told already.

  “Don’t act like you don’t know! Ricky told me everything! I can’t believe you chose your boyfriend over me! You kept this secret - for him! I thought we wouldn’t let guys come between us? Ever! I guess I was wrong!” Sherry practically screamed the words in her face, a verbal knife stabbing her heart. Ember felt her eyes fill and her lip trembled. How could Sherry react like this? She should’ve been able to understand. Ember hadn’t wanted to keep the secret, she really hadn’t.

  “Sherry, I-” she started to explain but Sherry held up a hand to cut her off.

  “I don’t want to hear it! Why don’t you go screw your precious boyfriend, like the two-faced slut you are?” And with that, Sherry turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving Ember in shock with tears running down her face. She felt like someone had punctured her heart, letting a rush of misery fill her and choke her lungs. Sherry had never spoken to her like that before, never insulted her like that, not even when they had big arguments - which wasn’t often. What was she supposed to do without her best friend? It would be like walking with a broken leg. Painful.

  Ember retreated slowly and carefully crawled back up her tree. Only once she was safely perched thirty feet up, could she let herself cry over what had just happened. She couldn’t believe it. Ricky had told Sherry, and Sherry had turned on her. It seemed they were both thinking the same thing though: How could she?

  Reid

  “Ember?” Reid called out, knowing full well she was here somewhere. He couldn’t remember exactly which tree she normally sat in, so he was opting for the call-until-she-answers method of searching. Unfortunately, she wasn’t answering. He could smell her scent so he knew she was nearby, but the rustling of the leaves and the whistling of the wind prevented him from hearing any sign of her. He couldn’t pinpoint her location in the dense mass of trees and bushes.

  “Ember! Come on, I know you’re here!” He was a little worried. Why wasn’t she answering him? Did he do something wrong? That was usually why people stopped talking to him, but he was sure he hadn’t done anything to upset her. She’d been fine when he left her earlier. What if she was hurt? After all, there were big animals in this forest, or she could’ve fallen out of her tree. Reid didn’t want to think about that, it was a chilling idea that made his heart ache. He was about to try to do a mind-sweep to find her brainwaves when the wind died off for a moment, long enough for him to hear what he’d been searching for.

  Ten feet left and thirty feet up, Ember sat in her tree, and she was crying. Frowning, Reid made the jump straight up to the branch next to hers easily. She didn’t even notice until he spoke. “Ember?” Reid tentatively put a hand on her shoulder, perching on the branch next to her. She flinched and turned away, rubbing at her face furiously.

  “What’re you doing here?” she asked in a thick, hoarse voice. It was clear she’d been crying for a while then. Reid felt fury flare up inside him, along with the sensation of tightness in his chest at seeing his girlfr-… at seeing Ember this way. It wasn’t often this girl really cried - unless she discovered a mangled crow on her bedroom floor - and right now she looked devastated.

  “Ember, what is it? Did someone hurt you? I swear I’ll rip them to bits if they did!” He growled fiercely, clasping her wrist in his hand. He expected her to turn shimmering, wet blue eyes on him, but she kept her head turned away as she spoke.

  “No. It’s OK. Just forget it.” Her voice shook and it was clear she was repressing another round of sobs. He desperately wanted to make her happy again, unable to stand the way her tears made his heart ache. “Ember. Is it something I did?” He didn’t think it was, but he had to be sure. Ember shook her head violently in negation.

  “No. Of course not.”

  With an internal sigh of relief, Reid continued. “Then who hurt you? Please, talk to me,” he murmured, reaching out a hand to her face. She jerked away slightly and sighed as he made a soft, hurt noise - unintentionally. She let him put his fingertips delicately to her face and turn it toward him, and bit her lip without meeting his gaze. Reid almost snapped, ready to go and maim whoever had made his Ember this upset. He’d never seen her so b
roken. Her cheeks were tear-stained and her eyes were red-rimmed, beads of tears clung to her dark lashes and her mouth quivered before she bit down harder on her bottom lip. Reid, unable to help himself, put his fingers to her mouth softly and smoothed out her lower lip before she could bite it so hard it bled.

  “Ember, please, tell me what happened?” he almost begged the words in a tender whisper, feeling the pained expression on his own face. She shook her head, and folded her hands in her lap limply. She bit her lip again, and Reid grimaced. It’d be such a pity if she gnawed that lip too much. He’d never get a chance to kiss it again at this rate.

  Eventually, he sighed, giving up for the moment. “Come on. Let’s get you back to the dorms. It’ll be getting dark soon and it’s freezing up here.” Before she could protest, he gathered her up in his arms and leapt into the air, soaring downward. He landed with a muffled thud, taking the force easily and without dropping the girl in his arms. She looked up at him with a mildly stunned expression and he smiled lightly. “Faster than making you climb.” He shrugged and began to put her down, but she clung to his shirt. She pouted slightly and snuggled into his chest, making his heart jump and ache at once. He felt an adoring smile touch his lips and kissed her forehead lightly, carrying her back to the dorms like she weighed no more than a rag doll. To him, she didn’t. She was a slight, feminine bundle in his arms, a delicate girl he felt he needed to protect, as he’d never wanted to protect anyone else in his life.

  Somehow, Ember fell asleep in his arms before they got back to the dorms, but he didn’t mind. All that crying must’ve tired her out, He thought. He didn’t want to wake her so he carried her up to her room and tapped on the door softly with his foot. He waited for Sherry to open the door, and let himself feel the warmth of the beautiful girl curled against his chest. She was so amazing it made his heart throb sometimes.