“Well, Noreen McDonald, as you’ve heard, has been found dead. Apparently, there are some pretty shady circumstances, so they’re asking that we don’t go out past dark. If we do, we are supposed to either travel in groups or have our parents drive us.” He let out an irritated laugh. “They don’t want another casualty before they can catch the person that did this to her.”
“Do they really think that it was a person?” I asked as I tapped the combination in on my locker door.
“I’m not sure they’ve figured out what it was, but they want us to be safe. So, I’m making that my job, to keep you safe.”
“I’m sure you will.” I couldn’t help smiling to myself. Really, it should be me keeping him safe.
“I’m just in shock that it’s happened at all.” He sighed and wrapped his arms around me. “I love you, Dawn.”
There it was again. And once again, I couldn’t think what to say. So instead I gave him a smile and a pat on the arm.
Chapter 8
Helen
“Have you met the new guy?” I asked Adam after school that day.
“New guy? I’ve seen him, but nope, can’t say that I’ve had the honor.”
“He’s a complete prick,” I grumbled, picking up a chip from the plate that was sitting between us.
We were in his kitchen in one of our regular attempts to get our homework done. Though he was a year behind me, Adam was quite helpful with my senior courses. If it weren’t for him, in fact, I would probably fail my senior calculus class. I put down my pencil and glared at the wall.
“One of the girls in my Physics class said he was quite dreamy,” he confided in me, grinning.
I groaned. “She’s sadly mistaken then.”
“I take it you didn’t hit it off with him today?” he asked.
“Oh, we hit it off okay. I ran right into him.” I rubbed my nose as if remembering it still hurt.
“That could be a problem then,” he said, glancing at me with his soft brown eyes.
“I suppose it could be. I just don’t understand how people can be so unpleasant for no reason.”
“Because some people are inherently unpleasant, I suppose.”
“What do you think about Noreen McDonald?” I asked, changing the subject.
“It’s sad. My dad called me at lunch to talk to me about it. Said that her throat was torn out or something.” He shook his head. “Her parents are distraught, of course. Said she went to bed at ten last night. About two in the morning they heard this loud bang. They went to her room, and she was gone, but her window was open. Two hours later they found her body in the woods.”
“What do the police say about it?”
“Dad said they suspect an animal attack. They questioned her boyfriend though. She was supposed to sneak out and go to his place that night, but never made it.” He shrugged.
Adam’s dad owned and ran the local diner. He usually heard the police gossip before it reached the ears of the rest of the general public. Mr. Snyder had also been an active member of the city for several decades, and his diner was the hang-out spot for the local department. It was no surprise that he would know more about the incident than the rest of the town.
“Do they think that she snuck out and got killed on the way?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I just find it odd that there was no blood in her body. It sounds like she was attacked by a vampire or something.” He laughed.
“Why do you find that so funny?” I queried.
“Vampires don’t exist, Dawn,” Adam said, shaking his head.
Our eyes met. For a moment I thought I felt something, a pull deep in me, and I longed to just wrap my arms around him and let him tell me that everything was going to be okay. However, our moment, no matter how deep it was, was interrupted by a knock on the front door.
“I’ll get that,” he said, hurrying from the kitchen.
When he returned, he wasn’t alone. Standing with him was a brunette with penetrating green eyes. Adam looked like he was in a state of shock as he ushered her into the room. She gave me a warm smile, and her face lit up like the sun. She was beautiful.
“Dawn,” Adam choked, “this is Helen Price.”
My mouth dropped open. She was here! She was standing right in front of me, in the flesh! I felt a power in me surge that I had never felt before. It was warm, and the fire felt as if it was about to explode out of me. This must be how I knew when I was in the presence of another Warden.
“The Helen Price?” I asked, standing up. I had this impulse to hug her but decided to keep myself in check. I had no idea who she was aside from what Adam had told me.
She let out a laugh and put out her hand.
“Yes, that’s me. You’ve heard of me then.” She winked.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, actually,” I said, taking her hand in mine, and shaking it.
“Adam,” she began, not taking her eyes from mine, “can you give me a second to speak to Dawn?”
Adam looked taken aback. He glanced between the two of us with wide eyes, seemed about to say something, then nodded and retreated from the kitchen without saying a word. Helen waited until he had gone and turned to me. I began to wonder what was going through Adam’s mind. It must have been a shocker for her to ask to be alone with me so soon after arriving. At the same time, I was also wondering how she had persuaded him to leave us without him making so much as a murmur.
“How do you know Adam?” she asked, taking a seat at the table, and speaking low.
“He’s my best friend,” I answered, following her lead.
“That’s amazing! But it’s odd that the two of us should be drawn to the same boy.” She smiled sweetly, but I sensed that she wasn’t quite at ease about it. I suspected that she wasn’t altogether comfortable that I should have befriended a boy she had feelings for.
“Right now, everything that would normally be considered odd seems to wind up being quite normal.”
“I know what you mean.” She looked meaningfully at me. “Adam’s a good guy. I wish that I could have stuck around longer to see where things went.”
“I think he wishes that too,” I assured her.
“It won’t be the same now, Dawn,” she said quietly, with a sad expression on her face.
“You don’t know that,” I said slowly.
“Oh, but I do,” she replied, keeping her voice low. “You can come back in now, Adam,” she called rather loudly.
Adam reappeared, looking uncertain and a bit dazed as he tried to fathom what was going on.
“I’m not going to ask,” he said as he took a seat at the table with us.
“Probably for the best,” Helen responded, resting her hand on his.
Something struck me as not quite right about this display of affection. I didn’t understand what it was, but some reason I didn’t like it.
“So, what brought you back so quick?” Adam asked her. “Your last message said it would be a few weeks before you would be here.” He looked at me.
“I was able to get away quicker than I expected.” She smiled at him, then glanced at me. Her hand was still resting on his, and it still didn’t feel right somehow.
“I told Dawn,” Adam suddenly blurted out.
“You told Dawn what?” Helen asked.
“I told her about you. About what you are.” He said it apologetically as if he was pleading for forgiveness.
“That’s fine, Adam,” she said, still smiling, after a small hesitation.
“How can it be fine?” Adam went on, looking even more confused. “You told me not to tell anyone.”
“I just have a feeling that Dawn here is a trustworthy person who won’t give away my secrets.” She certainly hid her true emotions well.
I wondered if she knew that I hadn’t told Adam about my own powers. I also wondered what this unsettled feeling I felt was about.
Adam looked at me. “I’d trust her with my life,” he said.
“Then it’s settle
d. Dawn is part of our inner circle.” She winked at me.
All I could do was give her a forced smile.
****
We spent an hour talking about nothing, really. It was mostly just Adam and Helen catching up on old times. She told him about all the places she had been to, and the things that she had seen. There were several stories about the churches and the missions that she had visited and all the people she had saved.
Adam listened intently, never taking his eyes off her as she spoke. I felt a bit like a third wheel, but when I offered to let them have some time to catch up properly, she insisted that I stick around. She even told me, for Adam’s benefit I supposed, that because I knew her secret, I needed to understand what she was on this Earth to do. The thing is, I already understood what she was there for. Everything that Nick had told me was starting to sink in the longer I sat there and listened to her talking.
At seven the conversation started to wane, so I decided it was time for me to head home. It was a school night, and if I were out too late, my mother would have it in for me when I got home. Halfway home my phone rang, and I answered it with a tired “Hello.”
“Dawn, it’s Helen.”
“What’s up?” I asked, wondering why she was calling me so soon.
“I’m leaving Adam’s now. Do you mind if I come by your place? I heard that Nick was there.”
“Yeah, I suppose. How did you know he was there?” I asked.
“I called him when I got into town. He said that he was staying with you and your mother,” she answered.
Of course, that was how she knew. If she had talked to Nick, he would have told her exactly where to come. He was the one who was supposed to get the four of us together after all. Now that two of us were in the same vicinity he was going to make sure that we became inseparable.
“You know where it is?” I asked.
“Yeah, I have it plugged into my GPS.” She let out a laugh. “An angel with GPS. Why do I find that hilarious?”
“I guess I’ll see you when you get there,” I said in a flat monotone.
“I guess so.” There was an edge to her voice. I didn't mean to sound like a bitch, but that odd feeling about her kept resurfacing.
“Hey, Dawn?”
“Yeah?” I was ready to be off the phone.
“Have you seen her?” Her voice was almost a whisper.
“Seen who?”
“Krista.” She said like it was supposed to be intoned with some secret Warden code.
“Only in my dreams,” I responded.
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.” It almost sounded like she was brushing me off.
I hung up the phone, feeling uneasy. I didn’t like the way Helen had touched Adam. I didn’t like the way she had looked at him, and I didn’t like the way she smiled at him. I wasn’t sure if I really liked her at all. She had made me feel seriously weird. I was going to have to talk to Nick as soon as I got home. I needed to know if we were supposed to house all four Wardens in our three-bedroom house for one thing.
The day had gone from interesting to downright scary. I still couldn’t believe Helen Price was here. It made all the things that Nick had told me a reality.
****
“Nick! Where are you?” I called as soon as I entered the house through the back door.
“In here!” he called from the living room.
I walked in and found him sitting on the couch watching a historical documentary and polishing his shoes. He looked up and gave me a warm smile.
“I have a surprise for you,” I said dryly.
“Oh, I do love a good surprise.” He perked up and put the shoe he was polishing on the coffee table.
I looked at it and frowned. Mom wasn’t going to like him putting his shoes on the furniture. She would throw things at me if the back of my shoe so much as touched the fabric on the couch.
“Guess who’s in Midvale.”
“I have no idea, Dawn.” He looked at me, puzzled.
“You are no fun, Nick the Prophet,” I sighed. “Helen Price is here.”
“Oh, that. Yes, yes, I know. She called me earlier today and told me that she had made her way to town. I gave her the address so she should be here shortly.” He smiled at me. “You don’t look so happy to have another of your kind here.”
“I can’t explain what I’m feeling if I don’t know what I am feeling,” I said, with a groan. “I’m happy she’s here. I suppose. It’s other things that seem to be bothering me.”
“You want to talk about it?” There was a look of concern on his handsome face.
“No, I’ll figure it out on my own. However, are we planning on housing all the Wardens in this tiny little house?” I asked.
“I haven’t thought about that. I’m going to have to ask your mother. I don’t know how she would feel having all three of you in one spot.” He looked at the TV for a second then back at me.
“You say the three of us like there is no fourth,” I grumbled.
“There is a fourth. I just don’t know who it is yet. I haven’t seen anyone in any visions. Either they have no clue what they are, or they are just exceptionally good at hiding.”
“How did you find me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“See, that is different. My mother told me when we found out I was a Prophet, so I figured I had to find Angelina to find you. Your mother has always done well with masking her location,” he said, giving me a shy smile. “I knew something was up with you when we were kids, to be honest. You were always different from the other children.”
“That’s an understatement.” I sighed.
Nick’s phone rang, and he picked it up.
“Are you finding the place okay?” he asked.
I heard the sweet voice of Helen on the other end, and my pulse quickened. I looked out the window as Helen’s brand-new Chrysler 200 pulled into our driveway. I instantly felt that pang of misgiving again at the sight of it. Even her car was better than mine. What else was this woman going to have that outdid something of mine?
“She’s here,” I said slowly, fighting the inner turmoil inside me. I couldn’t make up my mind whether I would hug or punch her when she came in.
Nick said a few more words to her and hung up his phone. A huge smile formed on his lips. He nodded at me and walked to the back door.
“Dawn!” Helen exclaimed as she entered my house, throwing her arms around me, and holding me close. “It is so nice to see you again!”
“The feeling is mutual,” I said coolly.
She looked at Nick and laughed. “You weren’t kidding about her.”
Nick laughed with her, and my blood began to boil. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing bad, Dawn,” Helen assured me. “He just told me that you weren’t like us.”
“Like who?”
“Like me and Krista, silly.” She giggled and smacked me softly on the arm.
“Again, what is that supposed to mean?” I could feel the anger in my voice.
“Calm down, Dawn,” Nick said softly, and I felt a sense of warmth wash over me. “She doesn’t mean anything by it. Like she said, I just said that you were different.”
“How am I any different?” I demanded, trying to resist the calm he was trying to make me feel.
“I told you that the other two embrace the light side of their blood and refuse to delve into the darkness that is in their veins. You are both light and dark, which of course makes you different,” he explained.
His explanation wasn’t quite enough to soothe the restlessness in my soul.
“I must admit I didn’t believe him at first,” Helen said, taking a step towards me. Her eyes were apologetic, but I had a feeling that she wouldn’t say the words aloud.
“Why do you deny the other part of your blood?” I asked her quickly.
“I don’t deny it. I just choose not to use it,” she said quietly.
“Have you ever tried the power?”
“Yes, we
all try it. Doesn’t mean we are drawn to it.” She rubbed her eyes. “Let’s not forget you pull fire, while I pull only earth. I found it to be more beneficial to be able to manipulate the Earth’s resources for a good reason. Sure, I could cause other countries to fall into famine and pull the vitamins from the soil if I wanted to. However, I prefer to give life to the land and help nourish the poor souls who are hungry and dying.” She looked at me with peace in her eyes.
“To defeat Miranda, you are going to have to pull from that darkness in you,” I warned her. “Making happy harvests and summoning grub worms is not going to cause her to give up and run away.”
“I understand that.” She bowed her head. “I know that I’m going to have to embrace the other side. I know I’m going to have to do things that I haven’t done in years.” Her eyes were pleading when she looked up at me.
“Good. Because understand this.” There was still anger in my voice. “I am no different than you.”
“Okay, that’s enough.” Nick clapped his hands together and stepped between Helen and me. “Let’s discuss how we are going to bring Krista back.”
Helen’s eyes were locked with mine. I think she could feel my anger, and in turn, I felt an odd sensation from her. She had no idea why I was so angry with her. To be honest, I didn’t really either. Then she switched her gaze to Nick.
“I’ve had a dream,” she began. “In this dream, I’m standing in a ring of fire.” She glanced at me. “I am able to shift the earth to reveal the body of the soon-to-be-restored. From there it takes the work of fire and earth to give life to the body. What I gather is that we must go to her grave, where Dawn will surround us with the fire of protection.” She smiled. “That’s so that nothing evil can penetrate the ritual. I will split the earth at our feet and summon the casket from the soil. Opening the casket, both Dawn and I put our hands on the bones of Krista and pray for her to be restored.”
“That sounds like a lot of work,” I said, glancing at Nick.
“It does sound like a lot, but I think you’re right,” Nick told Helen. “Who showed you this vision?”
“I think it was my father.” She sighed. “I can’t be sure since I don’t know who my father is.”
Smoke & Ash (Wardens Series Book 2) Page 8